A Dream of Empire Ch. 012

The seer would then slumber for several long hours within that forest, as the trees groaned in the wind and the stream burbled happily onward. Alanna swore she saw a ray of light shine down upon Cassandra as she rested. Talos only wept with a genuine relief.

-=-=-

Cassandra stirred atop pine needles, and beneath the midday sun. When she opened her eyes, she found Talos and Alanna nearing her with worried visages. She smiled for them in assurance of her health, and willed herself to her butt.

She had not remembered the prophecy she had presented to Talos, which was to be expected; it was the curse of seers, after all, to forget all they had seen. This curse was an immutable rule which kept the world in balance. She let her companions know this fact as she was helped to her feet, then asked to be escorted to Selphyse. Her order would grow quite concerned if she remained away for too long, after all, and she had been away for far longer than expected. Not that it had been a bad time.

The hike up the remainder of the mountain, and the trek through the forests to Selphyse, was a day-and-night long effort. Alanna and Talos shared stories of their lives with Cassandra as they journeyed, as did the seer of hers, but they did not lay together in the following night. Cassandra had been queasy for most of the hike, which Alanna figured was a side-effect of the seer's root.

Eventually, they finally reached the town of Selphyse. For being such a renowned location, it was truly quite the simple sight. Without the monolithic, columned temple complex of the Oracle at the top of the hill, it would appear as any other Tardian town. Wooden houses for most. A stone town center, where the markets, inns, and taverns would be located. The occasional villa here or there off on the horizon.

All seemed normal as Talos and Alanna said their farewells to Cassandra before the steps of the Oracle's temple complex. They thanked her for her gift of prophecy, even if the pair had yet to decipher it. They knew they would soon meet with Tatiana, after all, who would take the task of reading into prophecy with open arms. Cassandra thanked the pair for their wonderful conversation, for a wondrous night of lust, and, of course, for saving her life from her ursine attacker. With that, she walked up the steps to the temple.

All seemed normal. Normal, at least, until the braziers on either side of those marble steps suddenly lit with bluish-purple flames.

"Ah... huh?" Cassandra murmured to herself, bringing a hand to her chest. The fires came as a surprise to the seer; had her order finally found their new Oracle? Cassandra wondered who she was.

Cassandra, then... wondered who she was.

The town behind her was quiet, now. The wings of the temple before her were suddenly filled with seers, temple workers, and pilgrims, staring at her in awe. Cassandra stood alone on the steps of the temple, her arms trembling in disbelief. She... she couldn't be.

'The Oracle!' they cheered, their months of waiting finally come to an end.

'The Oracle!' they cried, wiping tears from their eyes.

'The Oracle!' they declared, guiding the trembling seer into the temple.

"The... Oracle?" Talos asked, dreadfully confused.

"The Rites of Yana..." Alanna whispered in awe, looking out over the sudden parade of believers ambling up the hill, towards the temple. Braziers atop many buildings in town were now burning with bluish-purple flames, the same hue that burned beside the temple steps.

"Huh. Talos... you were right."

"About what?"

"About the Oracle... she did sleep with you."