A Dream of Empire Ch. 013

But Talos wanted to say goodbye to Selphyse's new Oracle, first, so they meandered up the hill towards the Temple of Yana before leaving the city. The skies unleashed a gentle rain this morning, to sober the citizens of Selphyse from their lustful revelries of yesternight.

The Oracle's temple was just as marvelous as Tatiana had remembered of it from her books. Bluish-purple flames were dancing in countless braziers all throughout the hall, the same color that burned outside the temple. The massive-yet-bare marble columns outside the complex continued inside the interior hall, flanking anyone who entered through the main door for another hundred yards. At the end of those hundred yards was a gigantic statue of Yana, ten times the size of the tallest human, with impressive marble assets that would make even Alanna blush.

And the crowds. Now that another soul had mantled the Oracle, it seemed that half the town was here for the gifts of wisdom and prophecy. She wondered how Talos would get his desired audience, or if it would even happen at all.

Yet, the most peculiar thing happened as Talos approached the statue of Yana. Just when he was about to request said audience from one of the temple seers, the Oracle herself stepped out from behind the effigy of Yana. She wore a long and flowing white dress, and an intricate blindfold over her eyes adorned with a lovely gold pattern. She walked straight towards Talos without caring of what those in the hall thought of it; which was pure blasphemy, if Tatiana was recalling correctly. The Oracle was supposed to keep herself hidden, and receive audiences in one of the back rooms instead. Obviously, Talos must have left quite an impression with her.

To only blaspheme further, the Oracle touched Talos when she arrived before him, and leaned into him for a tight embrace! Tatiana was close enough to hear their conversation, as was Alanna; the rest of the souls in the immediate vicinity were instantly shooed away by the young Oracle. Astonishing.

"Oh... Oracle. My lady," Talos greeted her with a nervous grin.

"Talos of Evora. I have such wondrous news for you," she replied with an enchanting smile.

"What's that, my lady?" She leaned into him, to softly whisper in his ear.

"Mmm... I will forever remember our fated night of lust, lover. My belly certainly bears fruit of the event. But, don't ever worry. She will be raised here in Selphyse, and be named Cassandra in her honor. Just another beautiful miracle in your favor."

"Uh... what?"

The Oracle smiled, and released Talos from her grasp. "Place your trust in the gods, and look forward to the day that Cassandra is no longer your sword. Farewell, Talos of Evora. Come back to me after you have found your princess, but not a moment sooner."

Her word was now command. Talos nodded, and removed himself from her radiance.

"I will. Farewell, Oracle."

-=-=-

Tatiana was, quite frankly, stunned for the next half-hour, as the trio made their way up the mountainside towards their nearby destination. She knew Alanna and Talos were silently conversing, or had already conversed of the Oracle's words. She should probably say something. She glanced over towards him, attempting a smile, but only managed a disappointed pout.

"You... impregnated the Oracle," she muttered under her breath.

"Whatever the case, it... wasn't my fault. Right?" Talos asked with a hint of concern. Tatiana wasn't sure where the question was directed, but Alanna didn't immediately answer.

"Whose seed was it, then?" Tatiana squeaked. "And how many sorceresses have you slept with, anyway?"

He didn't answer. Tatiana didn't really want to know, anyway, but was now that much more curious regarding the man's potency. One pollinated sorceress was simply a miracle, a one-in-a-million chance according to scholarly articles on the matter. Two pollinated sorceresses was... impossible. It was beyond comprehension. She would need to author a treatise on the matter when she returned to Redstone.

"Maybe she's wrong?" Talos anxiously asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Sure, honey," Alanna frowned. "I'm sure the Oracle has no idea what's growing in her own womb."

"And why are you giving me such a hard time, huh? It was absolutely, one-hundred-percent your idea."

"I... I don't know," the enchantress sighed. "Maybe I just feel a little less special, is all. Who knows how many sorceresses you've given children to?"

Tatiana saw Talos nervously gulp; which, in a vacuum, made sense. When compared to Talos' normal, though, a swaggering wanderer who cared little of his life choices, it was actually quite charming. He'd finally been brought down to Mundus, and by his own manhood to boot.

Tatiana's mind wandered elsewhere as they continued their hike through the gentle forest rains. Well, it didn't wander far. She wondered, specifically, if she could be impregnated by the man. Sure, she'd never wanted children before, but that was only because it was an unobtainable dream. Now... now, who knew?

Not a great way to get him interested, Tatiana mused to herself with a smile. She would need to leave that thought unsaid.

"What's so funny, huh?" Talos asked of her. She shrugged.

"Only wondering if I should walk further away from you, lest the gods decide to smite you with a stray thunderbolt," Tatiana jested. Yet, Talos glanced towards the sky, and glared at her when his gaze returned.

"Not funny, Tatiana."

-=-=-

The trio soon arrived at the ruins of Dhar'zon after another two hours of uphill hiking. Alanna briefly mentioned to Talos aloud that her second mountain experience was, in fact, simpler than her first. Just another inside joke Tatiana had missed out on, she supposed. The rain finally let up just as they arrived.

Dwarven architecture was always a treat to behold, Tatiana knew. The entrance to the ruins of Dhar'zon was sculpted into the shape of a giant flat-chinned face, with the face's gaping maw the structure's entrance way. They would soon discover that the eyes and nostrils of that carving were cleverly-placed windows on the second floor as well. Most of the structure was sculpted within the mountain itself, save for a couple of balconies and windows which extended beyond the peak's facade.

Tatiana lit the halls of Dhar'zon with small, dazzling orbs of light as she meandered through it's wide passageways, although plenty of natural light seeped through it's many stone windows regardless. Tatiana hoped Talos was pleased; surely he hadn't expected such a marvel so close to Selphyse. Alanna seemed happy, at least, although Tatiana couldn't care less about that.

She eventually left the pair to their own devices, and made her way up the marble staircase towards the upper balcony. Judging from what she'd read of the place, the view was supposedly marvelous from up there, it's splendor unmatched by any other vista in Tardia.

Her expectations were well met when she arrived. The upper floor had been cut straight through the mountain, and was open to the elements. The marble floors, pillars, and railings here were clearly weathered by time and the elements, but nothing looked particularly damaged. 'Good ol' dwarven stonemasons,' one of her favorite authors might have said. Tatiana cautiously made her way towards the edge of the balcony, but stopped herself a half-dozen feet from the railing, just in case it wasn't as sturdy as it looked.

She could see miles and miles of pristine wilderness from this vantage, an endless sea of trees which painted the world a deep green. White towers of lost elven majesty ascended through the treeline here-and-there, and the world's most gorgeous rainbow framed the mountain peaks far off on the horizon.

Surprisingly, Talos joined her on the balcony a couple of minutes later. Alone.

"Hey," was all that he said. Hey. How silly it was that such a simple greeting could get her heart racing. She sighed happily, and waved a hand over the dreamy landscape of rainbows and forests below them.

"Just look at it all..." she reverently whispered to him.

"It's beautiful," he warmly replied, his radiant eyes fixed only on her. They shared a silent moment, then, just as they always did. A delightful, brilliant silence.

"But why are you up here, Tatiana?" he softly asked of her. "All the mage stuff is downstairs, I think."

She blushed. "Oh, well... there's nothing here I truly wanted to study, Talos. I only wanted to show you something for a change. Something nice. Something... something you could reminisce on while you're at sea. We can leave whenever you want."

Talos chuckled. "You did all of this for me? Why didn't you just say so?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Perhaps I thought you'd find it a waste of time, or that you'd think me foolish for trying to lead you astray."

She gazed at him longingly as he walked past her and fearlessly leaned against the railing. She followed him there, trailing in his calm and confident wake, and turned towards him when her hand met the marble.

Her hair swayed softly in the cool mountain breeze as they gazed at one another. Talos only smiled at her, waiting for her to continue. She knew he loved to hear her speak, and she of him; more than anything else in the aetherius.

"Whenever I find myself on the edge of a great and daunting task, I ensure the days before it are filled with my greatest pleasures. For me that's, um, Dusk. And music. And I..." she glanced off into the forested distance, her voice growing softer, "I know your greatest pleasure is seeing new things. New places. At least, it's what you've implied."

"It is, now that I think of it," Talos softly agreed. "It... hardly ever happens these days, truthfully. Eastern Solais would have been the first time in a year."

"Good. So... enjoy it," she exhaled, "and know that we can always return here, whenever you want. Um. At least, once we find Cass."

He turned his gaze towards the rainbows, the forests, and the mountains... and smiled. "Thanks," he murmured. What a wondrous smile.

"Oh! And..." she rolled her backpack's strap down her arm, then fumbled around inside it, "I have... this. They called it a banana at market," she giggled, handing him a yellow, crescent-shaped fruit mottled with brown spots. "Isn't it curious? Have you ever had one?"

"It is, and, I haven't," he smirked, taking the oddly masculine-shaped fruit.

"Good," she exhaled once more. "The merchant said they were from southern Hesperia, shipped under magical enchant to prevent spoilage. Go on, I have one for myself too. The skin comes off, by the way."

"Must have cost a fortune," Talos mused, tugging at the small stalk at the top of the fruit.

"Truthfully, it was a little strange paying for fruit in silvers. But, it's worth it. To provide you a new place, and a new experience, all at once," she smiled, grabbing another fruit from her pack.

"You're far too kind for this world, Tatiana," Talos said, taking a bite. "It's delicious."

"Is it?!" Tatiana giggled, preparing her own fruit. "I'm so glad. And don't be so humble, Talos. This is only repayment for being my perfect tower-mate. The way you... go to market for me, so I don't have to deal with the merchants myself. And the way you escort me on my sunset walks..."

"Eshcort you? You're a sorceresh," Talos replied with a mouthful of fruit.

"I'd still never go out after sunfall alone. I might get... grabbed from behind, or something, and prevented from casting magic," she pouted. "A natural fear for any woman in Redstone. Well, besides the magic part. A-anyway, just... don't think you aren't worthy of my efforts. If anyone is, it's you." Tatiana finally took a bite of her own banana, smiling from the peculiar, yet sweet, taste. "Hm. It is good. Kind of like Santarian oranges?"

"Mm. Kind of... actually..." he chewed on it, "not really."

They both giggled. Gods. What a laugh he had.

Soft footsteps from the archway behind them soon signaled Alanna's presence on the balcony. Tatiana stepped chastely away from Talos, then, and wondered if she had said anything which triggered the enchantress's territoriality.

I likely have, Tatiana thought mischievously.

Tatiana knew her mental ward was still impervious to Alanna's empathy - judging by the frequent pings of her will against the shield - and there was no doubt that this fact bothered the enchantress. Alanna had asked her twice in the last week alone to disable it, after all, and twice had Tatiana refused her, calling the freedom of hiding her thoughts a 'preference'.

If Alanna was concerned of Talos' growing fondness of her, she didn't bring it up that day as they looked out over the majestic rainbows and forests of Tardia. She didn't bring it up when they returned to Redstone, either, nor when they visited the docks to find an appropriate vessel for Talos' journey to Solais. The enchantress failed to bring it up that night as well, when Tatiana gave the pair their space, so they could enjoy one final night of lust before Talos' three-week journey to the east.

She did, however, finally bring it up the following afternoon, as the pair of sorceresses stood at the docks, and waved at Talos as he sailed away on a vessel named the Indefatigable.

"You still want him. Don't you?"

Tatiana smirked. Normally, she would have meekly avoided the unexpected question, or vehemently denied it altogether. But she felt confident, then, with Talos as the topic.

'I already have him, Alanna. Like the rains have the forest,' she thought of replying. No. Such words were far too aggressive.

'I can wait. One day he'll realize he's far too good for you, and that your binding to him is only parasitic in nature.' No, that's worse!

"I do," Tatiana replied instead, the brevity of her statement both reticent and truthful. She knew Alanna well enough by now; she wouldn't have asked the question in the first place if she were looking to quarrel.

Alanna took two steps closer to her, innocently holding her hands at her waist. "I knew you did. And, as crazy as it may sound... I don't mind that you do."

"You... you don't?" Tatiana sheepishly asked. The enchantress shook her head and smiled.

"Nope. I've learned in the past year not to make competition of, um... such matters. Cass, on the other hand..."

Tatiana nodded. She had been at the business end of Casiama's drawn bow before, and could only imagine how tempestuously she would react to such news.

"He is truly impossible, though," Alanna giggled. "He is so sure that you don't. Men."

Tatiana had so much to say, then; things she could never admit to Talos' other half. For instance, she couldn't tell her that she wouldn't mind being second in Talos' heart, so long as it was after whichever goddess Casiama had mantled. She couldn't enlighten Alanna to the fact that she had dreamt of Talos almost every night since meeting him, either, and she certainly wouldn't divulge her ongoing scheme to win the man's heart, no matter how fruitless it'd so far been.

She ultimately decided on saying nothing at all; a cowardly, yet apt choice of words. She would have to survive for three weeks alone with the enchantress, after all, and wouldn't sour the mood with such confessions so early. One thing was now certain, however; Alanna was not the barrier Tatiana had originally made her out to be. No. That role was, instead, only assumed by Talos himself.

"Hey... don't look so sad," Alanna frowned, placing a comforting hand on her back. "Come, let's get an early supper together. Some place on King's Street?"

Tatiana bit her lip, and nodded her acceptance. "Yes. Let's."