by Eric Vall
The Sword of Hatra hesitated before she responded. You’re becoming a leader for this world. You have plenty to worry about.
I could feel her disapproval at my sarcasm, so I didn’t push her any further.
Then we followed Mona and River into the cave, and the scenery completely changed.
The walls of the cave were made of stones that looked like mercury, and they reflected the bluish light at the end of the tunnel in every direction. The shimmery surfaces looked almost like a liquid dripping down onto the ground, and the result was a feeling of walking underwater. The dirt path transitioned to multi-colored stones that reminded me of the bottom of a fishbowl, and I could tell the underwater theme was strong in this cave.
We followed the descending path for what seemed like ten minutes before the tunnel widened into a large, open space with a well in the center. At this point, we were obviously pretty far underground. The well glowed a bright turquoise color, and I realized it was the source of the light that had reflected off the mercurial walls. It felt eerily similar to the Moonstone River House back in Hatra, where I had done most of my cultivating. It was peaceful but ominous, probably because I knew the owner of this place didn’t want us to be here.
As the last of our party stepped into the cavern, we looked around in awe. Even if it was a weird situation, the Oracle’s cave was beautiful. The water reflections were mesmerizing, and the air smelled fresh like the ocean instead of damp like most caves. No paintings adorned the cave walls except for one drawing on the wall to my right. The picture depicted a young lady sitting with her legs crossed, and blue flames licked the walls around her.
Then I saw the Oracle. I’d expected something different from my weird movie references, but I never could have guessed we would see the drop-dead gorgeous woman who stood on the other side of a well.
The Oracle was tall and lithe, and her slender body was covered by an almost transparent silvery white robe. Her gray hair was straight as an arrow and draped over her shoulders to her slim waist, but even though her hair was gray, her face didn’t look a day over twenty-five years. Her skin was smooth and supple, the color of moonlight, and she almost appeared to reflect the glow of the well just like the stones of the cave. Her silver eyes were bright as she looked directly at the queen, and her expression was unreadable.
“Mona, queen of the centaurs of Lumin,” the Oracle nearly whispered. Her voice was soft and sounded like wind chimes, light and musical, yet it still echoed throughout the cavernous space.
The Oracle was definitely a commanding presence.
“Oracle,” the queen responded with a curtsy. “I don’t mean to intrude--”
“Yet, here you are.” The Oracle seemed unconcerned.
“I wouldn’t come if I wasn’t desperate,” Mona murmured. “I need your help.”
“I know why you’re here,” the Oracle answered with a wave of her hand.
“Then you’ll help?” the queen asked, and hope filled her voice.
“Perhaps,” the Oracle replied as she sauntered around the well to assess us. “You keep interesting company, centauress.”
The Oracle glided over in front of the group and looked at each person from head to toe. Her silver eyes assessed everyone individually, and her blank facial expression gave us no hints to her thoughts.
I shifted uncomfortably as she checked us all out. I felt like I was under a microscope, and I didn’t like the feeling at all, so I had to say something.
“I’m Evan, Lord of Hatra el Shamash,” I broke the silence and stuck out my hand as she neared me.
Alyona elbowed me sharply in the ribs and looked at me with wide eyes.
Was a handshake offensive? Whatever, the silence was annoying.
“I know who you are, dragon.” The Oracle lifted a brow as she stopped directly in front of me. “Just because your appearance in Rahma has been, shall we say unusual, does not mean that I don’t know you.”
So, the Oracle knew about my magical entrance to Inati. I guess she really did know everything.
“Yes, I know about how you got here,” she confirmed my thoughts, and I wondered if I’d spoken them aloud. “I noticed the shift in the universe the moment you put on the mask. Your story has been intertwined with the rest of Rahma since you arrived. You are an interesting creature I’ve been keeping an eye on.”
She gestured to the well, which shimmered in response. It must have been some sort of viewing portal to the rest of the world. That would explain her ability to know so much without leaving her cave. I’d love a sneak peek into that thing.
“Then you know how I can be impatient,” I countered. “So, are you going to help us find the centaur boy or not?”
I heard Alyona gasp quietly next to me. I knew I wasn’t following the diplomatic approach at this point, but the boy was missing and probably in danger, so I didn’t like the Oracle playing games. We had to find Mona’s son fast, or I feared we wouldn’t find him at all.
“You get right to the point, Lord Evan,” the Oracle chuckled. The sound was like someone playing all the high notes on a piano, and it tinkled through the open space as she laughed.
“It’s kind of my specialty.” I smirked.
“I will help you,” she answered after a moment. “But not yet. You, Lord Evan, are not a traditional nobleman here in Inati, but you’re meant to be a great leader. In your future, I see many followers for your leadership, as well as plenty of money, power, and women.”
“These are a few of my favorite things,” I said in a Julie Andrews’ voice. I knew no one here had ever seen The Sound of Music and wouldn’t get the joke, but I didn’t care. I’d never had my palm read before, but I couldn’t imagine any better news than that.
“You have a good heart for the people,” the Oracle continued as her silver eyes dragged over me. “And you will make Rahma better with your genuine desire to help, but not everyone is on your side, so you must beware of those who do not have the same goodness inside themselves.”
“I will.” I dipped my head to her. Maybe she wasn’t too bad after all.
The Oracle turned to Alyona, who curtsied in response.
“Divine Maiden,” the Oracle began, “you will make the perfect partner for Lord Evan. Your knowledge and understanding of this world balance his brash nature and power. You will also bear him many children who will be adored by the citizens of Rahma. In fact, the children will be a sign of hope for other Demi-Humans throughout the country, so you can rid us of the segregation and slavery that still plagues some parts of our great nation.”
The idea of making many children with Alyona brought me to full attention.
“You honor me with your words,” the princess murmured and curtsied again.
“Before that, however, you have an incredible destiny,” the Oracle went on. “You are meant to stop a great catastrophe in our world. I believe you’ve already begun to figure out how to do it, but you have to gain confidence in your ability, or you will not succeed. While I can’t give you confidence, I can tell you that you are capable of doing a great service for your people.”
Was she talking about the Breach? We’d already figured out Alyona was supposed to be the one who could close it, but it seemed like the Oracle was confirming Alyona could and would do it. We’d have to discuss this little tidbit later on.
“I hope I can,” Alyona replied with her head down.
“You can,” the Oracle confirmed before she turned to Ravi. “Phoenix, you have experienced an interesting life in the dark. Now, you are coming into the light. Your people are masters at being reborn, and when the time is right, you will be the one to lead them to the light if you do what must be done. If you don’t, they will forever remain a legend, a myth that people only wonder about. With you as their leader, your people cannot be hidden forever, and your leadership will be how they become known and revered once again.”
“My people would be so happy.” A proud smile stretched across Ravi’s face, and I grinne
d at her pride. I knew it was important to Ravi to take care of the other phoenixes, especially since they’d been cooped up for a century to defend themselves and our world from the Breach.
“Lady Aaliyah,” the Oracle addressed the lioness, and Aaliyah stepped to the front of the group. “Your travels will bring you great wisdom. While the dragon has helped to reunite the factions in your city, you will rise to lead Tikal in a way that benefits your people even more. They will love you, even the other Demi-Humans, for your knowledge and understanding, but you cannot repeat the mistakes of your father, or the city will fall again.”
Aaliyah looked taken aback at the prediction, and I wondered if she was surprised she would become the leader of Tikal. I knew she was strong and smart, but right now, the city had three leaders, and they hadn’t done well when there was only one, as the Oracle reminded her. Maybe she didn’t know what Kinba had done as the ruler.
The lion Demi-Human dipped her head to the Oracle and stayed silent as she stepped back into the group.
“Polina, Trina, and Marina,” the Oracle called out to the dryad sisters, who tiptoed closer to her.
“Yes, Oracle?” Trina spoke barely above a whisper.
I’d never heard the sisters be so quiet.
“Your nature magic is unmatched, though I don’t think you’ve fully realized your potential yet,” the Oracle declared. “You have good hearts and will continue to help people while on this journey. Then you will take a journey of your own to find the answers you seek about your kind. The journey will not be easy, but don’t give up on that question.”
“How did you know … ?” Marina trailed off as she stared at the Oracle.
“I know everything,” the Oracle answered the question Marina didn’t finish.
I made a mental note to ask the girls what the Oracle meant about the answers they were looking for. They seemed to know everything about their species when we spoke about it before, and I was curious what else they wanted from our journey.
“So, do you know the answer to the question?” Polina wondered.
“Yes,” the Oracle confirmed with a smile, “but I will not simply tell you. The answer is not only in the words but also in the choices made to find it.”
Wow, that was super mysterious.
The dryads nodded in understanding before they backed away from the Oracle and began whispering excitedly to each other.
“Laika,” the Oracle called out to the wolf warrior. “Your loyalty to the princess knows no bounds. In fact, it will only grow as you become closer to her.”
The Demi-Human’s gray eyes watched the Oracle closely as she spoke, but Laika didn’t respond.
“You will be able to use your leadership skills to bring the Blue Tree Guild to a position of the highest honor,” the Oracle continued. “It is your desire to become the official Royal Guard, no?”
“Yes,” Laika confirmed with a nod.
I was a little surprised with that one. We’d joked about the Royal Guard thing before, but Laika never even hinted she really wanted to do it.
“Your future king is surprised,” the Oracle chuckled. “Remember, he is not the same as you. You’ll likely have to be a little more forward to get the things you want, but if you stay silent, you will not be the leader your Guild deserves.”
“I’ll work on it, milady.” Laika bowed deeply to the Oracle, and both women smiled.
“Lord Nikolas.” The Oracle turned to Nike, and he crossed an arm over his chest and bowed to her. “While you are not destined to be a great ruler, you are a great advisor and expert strategist. You are a skilled warrior, and you will be known as one of the best in history if you choose the right battles. Then you will produce a family of sons who will become skilled warriors under your tutelage.”
“I would be honored to build such a family,” Nike responded with reverence.
“You will,” the Oracle reiterated and turned back to the centaur leader. “River, I know you didn’t want to come here.”
“I know you don’t like visitors,” River mumbled and kicked at a stone at his feet, and his hooves were loud as he shifted his weight back and forth on the rubble.
“While that is true, you have to stop being so stubborn,” the Oracle admonished him. “You have the capability to change centaur history if you will only relax some.”
“Why don’t they have to do anything different?” River grunted and gestured to the rest of us.
I had to admit, his prediction was definitely less glamorous than the rest of ours. And we didn’t have to change anything.
“They are already on their paths to greatness,” the Oracle said with raised eyebrows. “You have avoided yours for the last few decades under the guise of leading the Sagittarius Order. Accept my advice or continue on this path of anonymity. The choice is yours.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” River stamped his hooves and shook his head.
The Oracle furrowed her brow at his response, and Alyona covered her face with her hand. Apparently, that was not the appropriate reaction to one of the Oracle’s predictions.
Mona looked at River with frustration on her face, and I figured she was worried his attitude would affect the chances of the Oracle helping us find Archer.
“I apologize for my commander,” the queen told the Oracle. “He has never been in your great presence.”
“And I won’t punish you for his insolence,” the Oracle replied as she turned her attention back to the queen. “I stand behind my word that I would help you.”
Mona sighed a breath of relief, and her shoulders slumped.
“So, where is the boy?” I cut in.
“He is at a tear to the other world,” the Oracle answered me, though her gaze never left the queen’s face. “You have seen one before. The tear allows demons to escape their world and wreak havoc on ours, much like the Breach.”
“Why is he there?” Mona asked with concern etched across her face.
“He was taken to become a sacrifice,” the Oracle responded without emotion. “A powerful being thrown into the rift will give the demons more power to help them escape their world and devour ours. His captors planned to sacrifice older centaurs, but you altered their plans when you rescued the citizens.”
“Shit,” I mumbled. “So, they had to find someone else to sacrifice. Why take a child?”
“They don’t care about him being a child,” the Oracle said and looked back at me. “They want to give the demons power, and a centaur’s ability to shapeshift and hold great knowledge is powerful.”
“Who are they?” Mona whispered as her eyes filled with tears. “Why are they doing this?”
“His captors bear a tattoo of a green leaf,” the Oracle replied as she returned her gaze to the queen. “You know this symbol?”
“A green leaf?” Mona gasped, and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Cesar has the same marking. I didn’t know--”
“It’s the Green Glass Sect,” I cut her off. “I told you he was the traitor.”
“I-I had no idea,” the queen stammered. “Most of my men have tattoos, but that one stood out because of its color. When I asked him about it, he said it was a reminder of his time in the forest before we took him in.”
“You mean, Cesar wasn’t from Lumin?” I questioned with a sharp frown.
“No.” Mona shook her head. “We found him wandering the forest years ago. He looked nearly starved, and he’d said his village was destroyed by a dragon. He’d supposedly been looking for our city for months.”
“He was a traitor even then,” I growled. “There aren’t many dragons left to have destroyed his village.”
“We’ve had, ah, limited contact with the outside world for a while,” the queen answered evasively.
There was another reference to their isolation that I wondered about, but now wasn’t the time to interrogate her about it.
“Whatever.” I dismissed the talk of Cesar and addressed the Oracle again. “We know he’s a piece of shit
, so why does the Sect want to throw Archer in the tear? Why do they want to open the Breach?”
“The Sect wants destruction, though the reasons are of no importance to your mission,” the Oracle answered. “You cannot allow the sacrifice to take place.”
“So, where do we go to stop it?” I demanded.
“I cannot give you an exact location,” she said with a frown. “You have to find it on your own. Just remember what you know about these tears.”
“That’s it?” Mona cried out. “How can we just find it?”
“Do not continue to be blinded by your emotion, centauress,” the Oracle rebuked her. “Your desire to have a daughter blinded you to your friend Cesar’s true nature, and if you let it continue, it will keep you from finding your son.”
“How dare you,” Mona hissed, and her jade eyes flashed with rage. “I have to have a daughter for our tribe to continue on.”
“Yes,” the Oracle agreed as her voice grew louder, “and she will come when the time is right. Do you doubt me?”
Her tone changed from understanding to threatening, and I could see Alyona’s research had been right. The Oracle was getting pissed.
“I doubt you know what’s best for my people,” Mona countered.
Suddenly, the walls around us shook, and a thunderous rumble echoed throughout the cave.
“You dare come to my home and question me?” the Oracle roared, and her face contorted with rage.
Her voice ricocheted off every surface of the cavern, and it sounded like she was everywhere at once. The glowing well shook with her anger, and its blue water spilled over the edges onto the floor. Rivers of the glowing water streamed through the colored rocks and lit up the floor beneath our feet, and we all hastily backed away.
Mona, though, glared at the Oracle with her arms crossed and didn’t back down. Alyona looked back and forth between the two women, and I could tell she was trying to decide if she should intervene or avoid offending the Oracle further.
“You questioned me,” Mona finally answered. “You questioned my knowledge of my people.”
“You allowed a traitor in your house!” the Oracle shrieked and laughed maniacally as the walls continued to shake around her.