Sumina
-chapter three-
The Oracle
A/N: Chapter Three! We'll now be adding a new member to the group of Ivan and mirror (Yao). This chapter will be a little shorter than the last two, as not much goes on. Next chapter? Well, let's just say you'll get a glimpse into some family situations… Also, what do you guys think of there being some omakes? I updated early this week just because this is a ridiculously short chapter, and I'd rather not give you just this chapter all week. So you'll all get two chapters this week! Pretty soon we'll be getting back into present-day time. Anyhow, enjoy!
Also, no apparent pairings in this chapter.
Rating: T, for violence, coarse language and gruesome images. I know you guys haven't seen any of that yet, but it'll get pretty violent very fast.
---
He was in an astonishingly different place. Waterfalls flowed to his left and right, crashing against the large, pointed rocks that spiked up and blocked out most of the spray. Above him, it was foggy. Light barely poured down into the murky space. He looked down at the mirror and wiped it clean of the mist that fogged it up. "Yao, where is this?" Ivan moved the mirror about the cavernous hole and turned it back to himself.
"It seems to be some sort of…cavern or hole underground. The Oracle should be here though, aru," he explained, closing his eyes. "Ah, right in front of you, aru." Ivan looked ahead of himself. All that met his gaze was a roaring waterfall.
"…Are you sure?" He asked. Yao rolled his eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure, aru. Now go on – he's just ahead. Trust me."
Ivan walked towards the waterfall and looked up at it. It towered up further than he could see. He then looked down. Large, sharp rocks jutted from the ground. He swallowed. "Yao, you had better be right." He backed up, took off at a run, and jumped. When he landed, he fell on the hard rocks, the wind knocked from his chest. It wasn't all that bright of an idea to land on one's belly, now was it?
As he stood, he found that he was not wet at all; in fact, he was completely dry. His brows drew together, thoroughly puzzled. "…Wha…?" Yao hushed him.
"The stones would raise and the waterfall would part, if you would have just walked forward, Ivan." Ivan growled angrily.
"Well, you should have told me sooner!" Looking around himself, he found that the cavern behind the waterfall was lit with countless candles, flickering gently in the darkness. And at the back of the cavern were rich Grecian blue drapes, decorated with white wave patterns, hung up on wooden racks across the cavern, drawn shut behind the raised slab of rock. Atop the rock was a woven golden fleece with numerous colors and patterns. But atop this sat the most important thing—a rich brown-haired man, his eyes shut, with lightly tanned skin, wearing a loose white cotton shirt and dark brown pants. His hair looked to have not been brushed in days; a double-curled strand stood up on the top of his head. Whatever the man was doing, he was entirely silent. No motion came from his body, no sound…nothing. He simply sat there, as if concentrating....
Ivan made up his mind to speak up. "Hello?" No response. He stepped closer, waving his hand in front of the man's face. "Hello? Are you the Oracle Karpusi?" All was silent for a long time. Just as Ivan backed away to leave, a million curses on his mind, a thoughtful, lazy voice cut through the silence.
"I am he. Heracles Karpusi, that is. The Oracle. Francis Bonnefoy sent you. You are looking for the residence of Arthur Kirkland, mysterious wizard of the mist. Welcome to my hideaway, Ivan Braginsky and Wang Yao." Ivan turned around, narrowing his eyes.
"And you know this because you saw this all in a vision?" The man hummed.
"Yes, that is the answer." He opened his eyes slowly, revealing brilliant green orbs, gleaming in the darkness like a cat's. "Now I wonder why it is that you think I may tell you such a thing. The Gods have not put me at liberty to disclose such information to you…yet." Ivan heard Yao growl angrily.
"Conditions, I assume?" Ivan stepped forward, pulling his pipe from his side and putting the mirror in his pocket. "And why is it that you need to hide?"
Heracles looked directly at him, unafraid despite the menacing Russian heading towards him. "And why is it that you need to hide, Ivan Braginsky? Why do you hide from your past? You have the strength to overcome it." Ivan froze in his tracks. Memories flooded the gates he built around them; painful memories that made him quiver and shake.
"Shut up, shut up!" He screamed, running towards the Oracle and raising his pipe to strike.
"Now that would do you no good, Ivan Braginsky. Without me, you have nowhere to go. Lost…you would be lost with no direction without the guidance of my Gods." He was calm despite the Russian's pipe raised just above his head. Ivan panted, dropped the pipe to his side, and turned away.
"…Very well," Ivan hissed, attempting to control his burning anger. "What do we do now then, Oracle?"
Heracles stood. He walked about the cavern, blew the candles out. When he finished, he walked back over to the pedestal and sat upon it once again, staring off into the distance. "We wait."
It was several hours before Heracles woke from his vision. His pupils returned to normal size, and he shook his head slightly. "We must find someone in order to continue. This someone will be of assistance in the future…" He trailed off slowly.
"And who is this someone?" Ivan tapped his foot impatiently.
"Dark hair, dark eyes, fair skin...a gentle beauty of old; we should leave immediately." Heracles stood again, wrapping the fleece around his waist and grabbing a bag from behind the pedestal. Ivan pulled the mirror from his pocket and called out for Yao, who looked at him curiously.
"What now, aru?" He asked. Ivan explained that they had to find someone first, and that the Oracle would come along with them. Yao sighed. "Alright then, aru – hand the mirror to the Oracle, and then have him picture the place in his mind. Hold on to him, or you won't be able to come along, aru." Ivan did as he was told, grabbing onto the Oracle's arm. When Heracles closed his eyes and put the place that he saw in his mind, the two were twirled and whisked away from the cavern to a world of exotic smells and foreign sights.
