Elaina woke early the next morning and tied her mass of curls up in pins.
She shoved her spectacles up onto her nose and grabbed her spell book and
walked the short distance to the Temple of White. The streets were somewhat
drier than the night before and no one was awake yet. She liked the feel of
being alone and no one bothering her thoughts. Day was her least favorite
time, for the stars were not visible so she could not easily teach humans
the ways of the gods. But luckily the gods blessed her with being able to
see the stars in the sky even when the sun shines brightly. The girl walked
past the guards into the Temple and walked up the white marble stairs her
flat shoes rubbing against the cool stone. The stairs spiraled upwards and
finally came to a big room where one of the High Society Mages stood
looking at a picture on the wall.
"Frindle, how are you today?" She bowed slightly and he nodded to her greeting.
"Just fine thank you milady." Elaina continued across the room and up another flight of stairs. She always grew bored of walking up and down these stairs but her room was almost to the top of the tall tower. It was right next to the High Council Chambers where underlings come to talk to the High Council. She stepped up the last step and sighed there were two doors leading from the room, one to hers and the other to the round Council Chamber. Elaina walked quickly over to her door and took out a slender brass key and unlocked the door, she snapped her fingers and Stars filled the room giving the area a dim light. She walked to her desk trying not to stumble upon the many books and scrolls that were scattered across the floor. The girl turned on the lamp and looked up at the chair in front of her desk.
"Were you ever going to notice me?" The man sad smiling and folding his arms across his chest.
"Master Arign, nice to see you again, for it has been awhile since you have come to look in on me."
"I looked in on you yesterday as I do everyday dear." The mage laughed becoming confused in her words.
"I was being sarcastic." She pulled her chair in a little and sat down. The large windows on her left brought sun into the room, and she stood aggravated and pulled the curtains slightly closed. Then walked back to her seat. "What is it you need this morning?"
"Well I have some mages coming today, and I would like you to meet them."
"Oh yes that's right I remember you saying something about Oracles." Arign frowned, for he hated her power immensely. "She stood again and walked to the wall in front of her and stepped on the ladder that was attached to the whole wall of books ranging from mythology to hardcore facts of the universe. She scanned her finger across the bindings and found what she was looking for. "Master Arign would you toss me that scroll in front of you with the blue ribbon around it?"
"Of course dear." He pointed at it and it floated over to Elaina on the ladder. She grabbed it and smiled, she untied the ribbon and let it fall to the ground and unrolled it. "Now Elaina, with these oracles they are going to tell you what they see for the future."
"And it will be wrong." She sighed and said calmly not looking up from the scroll or the open book she was comparing it to. "Just like this scroll from your brother. He believes he knows more than me." She tossed it down onto the floor next to the ribbon then she put the book back in place
"You can't hate him for trying to prove you wrong dear, I have heard he finds you fascinating that's why he sends you scrolls such as that, one day don't be surprised if there is a ring in there." He laughed then stopped instantly knowing she didn't find it amusing.
"I grow bored reading his scrolls full of false readings."
"And I don't like giving them to you either dear, for I know how much it troubles you."
Elaina climbed down the ladder and stepped on the scroll ignoring it. She picked up a jar with a blue light in it almost looking as if it was a pixie. She placed it in front of Arign and he stared at it for a moment.
"Thank you for doing this for me." He took the bottle and stood up for it was a star in a bottle and it possessed lie detectors that Elaina had enchanted it with. "The oracles will be here at noon oh and someone is coming to see you before that, I shall show him up when he arrives." He opened the door and walked out the door shutting itself behind him.
Darin awoke late that morning and he crawled downstairs, his father was already gone to the Temple of White for work and now her had nothing to do. He sat there instantly bored and figured living by your sword sucks. Then an idea came to him. 'Elaina-Err Lady Elaina. I could go find her' he stopped thinking for a moment. 'That is a stupid idea Koron what the hell are you on!' he smacked himself over the head and grabbed his sword that was by his jacket, which he left lying on the floor. The morning sun washed over him as he stepped out hooking the sword around his waist. The markets were already busy with commoners buying vegetables and flowers. He pushed his way though the crowd not planning anything on where he was going but stopped when he passed the gates of the Temple of White. He stepped forward and put his hand on the gate handle and pushed it open, the guards on either side helped him little. He stepped in for the first time and saw the white fountain in the middle of the Plaza. He walked around it and entered the door of the main building and instantly got lost for everything looked the same!
"Ah Human warriors how they do excite me. Are you here to see your father?" Master Arign stood in front of Koron waiting for the Oracles to arrive.
"Yes, urm no, no I am not I am here to see Lady Elaina." He said stammering.
"To the left and all the way up the stairs, she in the left room." Arign twitched for he read his mind swiftly for the warrior knows nothing of the girl upstairs. He laughed in dismay and continued to wait. Koron walked up the stairs, his black boots tapping the stone steps. He sighed when he got to the top and walked to the room on the right reached for the door then he remembered it was the door on the left. He turned and walked his hand still outstretched and reached for the long door handle. It swung open and hit him the face. Koron grabbed his head in agony and tried to regain his sight. He stumbled forward hitting Elaina and her scrolls and pile of books in her hand splattered across the floor. The warrior looked up and smiled apologetically. She frowned and bent down her robes fluttering to the side of her. She picked up the scrolls and books and stood with them in a nice organized pile then pushed past Koron without saying anything. He turned sharply and watched her walk down the stairs.
'I have just been nominated the worlds biggest loser.' He thought to himself. He leaned against the marble wall and slid down to the floor putting his head in his hands. He sighed heavily the looked up when he heard a cough.
"Excuse me I need to get into my office." Elaina was back, her hands empty. Koron stood and moved out of the way. "Come in if you wish, but I cant guarantee we will have time to chat."
"Chat? Who ever said anything about me wanting to chat to you?" Koron was trying to hide the fact he wanted to talk to her.
"Koron, I am an Astrologer, perhaps you didn't notice." She walked in and pointed to the ceiling the stars still in motion from the first time she stuck them there that morning. She sat down at her desk and pulled out a black piece of parchment and a quill. She dipped it lightly in silver ink and started to scratch on the paper slowly. Koron hovered over her a moment then backed off. "Now tell me, why have you sought me out again."
"I didn't seek you out the first time last night, so this is only the first time."
"No you wanted me to be there, I could see it in your eyes, I wont trust you if you don't stop lying to me." She didn't look up from the parchment but dipped the quill into the ink again and kept writing.
"The fact is--." The door swung open and three oracles and Arign walked in causing Koron to be cut off when he jumped.
"Master Arign you are early."
"For they arrived early Lady Elaina." He nodded her head as she stood. "Koron please wait outside, you may resume your talk with the lady afterwards hmm?" Koron nodded and stepped outside. "Now Lady Elaina this is Sir Dante from the temple of Blue." He pointed at the middle-aged man who wore blue robes and had rather blonde hair. He bowed and kissed her hand. "This is Sir Chridar, he came from the elven city of Novorelm." He too bowed but Elaina but her hands behind her back. "And this is--."
"I am Lord Taiss pleased to meet you milady." The oracle stood straight up. His black robes hit the floor. And his shoulder length brown hair seemed to shimmer in the dim light. He held a staff with a simple onyx on top.
"Lord Taiss, why are you here?" Elaina was startled.
"I am an Oracle ma'am and I am here for the same reason they are perhaps?" He questioned her simply pointing to the other men.
"Interesting." She looked him over. "Please come in and have a seat we will get started right away. The men sat and Elaina stood and leaned against the edge of her desk, she gently took her spectacles off and unpinned her red curls from the bun that it was in. "Now I understand you want me to answer true and false?"
"Correct." Chridar nodded slowly blinking his blue eyes. "I will take the first question. Your life will end from being killed by a human warrior." Koron heard that one though the door. Elaina closed her eyes then blinked them open quickly
"False, I will die from my magic. Next please."
"Armies will gather to the north?" Sir Dante tried to smile to the girl
"True, they will form on the twenty second moon but shall be slowed by snow on First Harvest."
"You love a human?"
"Now I must let you know nothing is wrong with loving a human, but it is false, for my heart belongs to the gods no?" All three oracles nodded and Dante looked up.
"One last question from me. The source of your power is from a star gem?"
"Partly true. The gods granted me my powers, the gem shows they favor me, but power is from within oneself." They nodded again.
"That is all from me as well." Chridar stood and followed Dante out of the room.
"Arign would you leave us for a while? I would like to speak to Lord Taiss." Arign nodded, bowed and left the room following the other two men. Elaina stood there for a moment and then went behind her desk and pulled out a clear ball and set it on the table.
"Elaina, is it true, that you don't love a human."
"Taiss getting oracles to go away isn't the start of my problems." She sighed and looked at the floor. "I love a human though, and it shouldn't be considered tolerable, my people will frown upon it." She pushed back tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. Taiss put down his staff and hugged her tightly. She buried her face into his robes and cried.
"You don't always have to be so strong." He put his large human hand on her head.
"Taiss why are you here anyways?" her muffled voice was stammering "You're a black mage why are you here?"
"To see you, and its weird that I got in here without Arign knowing."
"Heh." She tried to lighten up. "I bet he knew."
"Frindle, how are you today?" She bowed slightly and he nodded to her greeting.
"Just fine thank you milady." Elaina continued across the room and up another flight of stairs. She always grew bored of walking up and down these stairs but her room was almost to the top of the tall tower. It was right next to the High Council Chambers where underlings come to talk to the High Council. She stepped up the last step and sighed there were two doors leading from the room, one to hers and the other to the round Council Chamber. Elaina walked quickly over to her door and took out a slender brass key and unlocked the door, she snapped her fingers and Stars filled the room giving the area a dim light. She walked to her desk trying not to stumble upon the many books and scrolls that were scattered across the floor. The girl turned on the lamp and looked up at the chair in front of her desk.
"Were you ever going to notice me?" The man sad smiling and folding his arms across his chest.
"Master Arign, nice to see you again, for it has been awhile since you have come to look in on me."
"I looked in on you yesterday as I do everyday dear." The mage laughed becoming confused in her words.
"I was being sarcastic." She pulled her chair in a little and sat down. The large windows on her left brought sun into the room, and she stood aggravated and pulled the curtains slightly closed. Then walked back to her seat. "What is it you need this morning?"
"Well I have some mages coming today, and I would like you to meet them."
"Oh yes that's right I remember you saying something about Oracles." Arign frowned, for he hated her power immensely. "She stood again and walked to the wall in front of her and stepped on the ladder that was attached to the whole wall of books ranging from mythology to hardcore facts of the universe. She scanned her finger across the bindings and found what she was looking for. "Master Arign would you toss me that scroll in front of you with the blue ribbon around it?"
"Of course dear." He pointed at it and it floated over to Elaina on the ladder. She grabbed it and smiled, she untied the ribbon and let it fall to the ground and unrolled it. "Now Elaina, with these oracles they are going to tell you what they see for the future."
"And it will be wrong." She sighed and said calmly not looking up from the scroll or the open book she was comparing it to. "Just like this scroll from your brother. He believes he knows more than me." She tossed it down onto the floor next to the ribbon then she put the book back in place
"You can't hate him for trying to prove you wrong dear, I have heard he finds you fascinating that's why he sends you scrolls such as that, one day don't be surprised if there is a ring in there." He laughed then stopped instantly knowing she didn't find it amusing.
"I grow bored reading his scrolls full of false readings."
"And I don't like giving them to you either dear, for I know how much it troubles you."
Elaina climbed down the ladder and stepped on the scroll ignoring it. She picked up a jar with a blue light in it almost looking as if it was a pixie. She placed it in front of Arign and he stared at it for a moment.
"Thank you for doing this for me." He took the bottle and stood up for it was a star in a bottle and it possessed lie detectors that Elaina had enchanted it with. "The oracles will be here at noon oh and someone is coming to see you before that, I shall show him up when he arrives." He opened the door and walked out the door shutting itself behind him.
Darin awoke late that morning and he crawled downstairs, his father was already gone to the Temple of White for work and now her had nothing to do. He sat there instantly bored and figured living by your sword sucks. Then an idea came to him. 'Elaina-Err Lady Elaina. I could go find her' he stopped thinking for a moment. 'That is a stupid idea Koron what the hell are you on!' he smacked himself over the head and grabbed his sword that was by his jacket, which he left lying on the floor. The morning sun washed over him as he stepped out hooking the sword around his waist. The markets were already busy with commoners buying vegetables and flowers. He pushed his way though the crowd not planning anything on where he was going but stopped when he passed the gates of the Temple of White. He stepped forward and put his hand on the gate handle and pushed it open, the guards on either side helped him little. He stepped in for the first time and saw the white fountain in the middle of the Plaza. He walked around it and entered the door of the main building and instantly got lost for everything looked the same!
"Ah Human warriors how they do excite me. Are you here to see your father?" Master Arign stood in front of Koron waiting for the Oracles to arrive.
"Yes, urm no, no I am not I am here to see Lady Elaina." He said stammering.
"To the left and all the way up the stairs, she in the left room." Arign twitched for he read his mind swiftly for the warrior knows nothing of the girl upstairs. He laughed in dismay and continued to wait. Koron walked up the stairs, his black boots tapping the stone steps. He sighed when he got to the top and walked to the room on the right reached for the door then he remembered it was the door on the left. He turned and walked his hand still outstretched and reached for the long door handle. It swung open and hit him the face. Koron grabbed his head in agony and tried to regain his sight. He stumbled forward hitting Elaina and her scrolls and pile of books in her hand splattered across the floor. The warrior looked up and smiled apologetically. She frowned and bent down her robes fluttering to the side of her. She picked up the scrolls and books and stood with them in a nice organized pile then pushed past Koron without saying anything. He turned sharply and watched her walk down the stairs.
'I have just been nominated the worlds biggest loser.' He thought to himself. He leaned against the marble wall and slid down to the floor putting his head in his hands. He sighed heavily the looked up when he heard a cough.
"Excuse me I need to get into my office." Elaina was back, her hands empty. Koron stood and moved out of the way. "Come in if you wish, but I cant guarantee we will have time to chat."
"Chat? Who ever said anything about me wanting to chat to you?" Koron was trying to hide the fact he wanted to talk to her.
"Koron, I am an Astrologer, perhaps you didn't notice." She walked in and pointed to the ceiling the stars still in motion from the first time she stuck them there that morning. She sat down at her desk and pulled out a black piece of parchment and a quill. She dipped it lightly in silver ink and started to scratch on the paper slowly. Koron hovered over her a moment then backed off. "Now tell me, why have you sought me out again."
"I didn't seek you out the first time last night, so this is only the first time."
"No you wanted me to be there, I could see it in your eyes, I wont trust you if you don't stop lying to me." She didn't look up from the parchment but dipped the quill into the ink again and kept writing.
"The fact is--." The door swung open and three oracles and Arign walked in causing Koron to be cut off when he jumped.
"Master Arign you are early."
"For they arrived early Lady Elaina." He nodded her head as she stood. "Koron please wait outside, you may resume your talk with the lady afterwards hmm?" Koron nodded and stepped outside. "Now Lady Elaina this is Sir Dante from the temple of Blue." He pointed at the middle-aged man who wore blue robes and had rather blonde hair. He bowed and kissed her hand. "This is Sir Chridar, he came from the elven city of Novorelm." He too bowed but Elaina but her hands behind her back. "And this is--."
"I am Lord Taiss pleased to meet you milady." The oracle stood straight up. His black robes hit the floor. And his shoulder length brown hair seemed to shimmer in the dim light. He held a staff with a simple onyx on top.
"Lord Taiss, why are you here?" Elaina was startled.
"I am an Oracle ma'am and I am here for the same reason they are perhaps?" He questioned her simply pointing to the other men.
"Interesting." She looked him over. "Please come in and have a seat we will get started right away. The men sat and Elaina stood and leaned against the edge of her desk, she gently took her spectacles off and unpinned her red curls from the bun that it was in. "Now I understand you want me to answer true and false?"
"Correct." Chridar nodded slowly blinking his blue eyes. "I will take the first question. Your life will end from being killed by a human warrior." Koron heard that one though the door. Elaina closed her eyes then blinked them open quickly
"False, I will die from my magic. Next please."
"Armies will gather to the north?" Sir Dante tried to smile to the girl
"True, they will form on the twenty second moon but shall be slowed by snow on First Harvest."
"You love a human?"
"Now I must let you know nothing is wrong with loving a human, but it is false, for my heart belongs to the gods no?" All three oracles nodded and Dante looked up.
"One last question from me. The source of your power is from a star gem?"
"Partly true. The gods granted me my powers, the gem shows they favor me, but power is from within oneself." They nodded again.
"That is all from me as well." Chridar stood and followed Dante out of the room.
"Arign would you leave us for a while? I would like to speak to Lord Taiss." Arign nodded, bowed and left the room following the other two men. Elaina stood there for a moment and then went behind her desk and pulled out a clear ball and set it on the table.
"Elaina, is it true, that you don't love a human."
"Taiss getting oracles to go away isn't the start of my problems." She sighed and looked at the floor. "I love a human though, and it shouldn't be considered tolerable, my people will frown upon it." She pushed back tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. Taiss put down his staff and hugged her tightly. She buried her face into his robes and cried.
"You don't always have to be so strong." He put his large human hand on her head.
"Taiss why are you here anyways?" her muffled voice was stammering "You're a black mage why are you here?"
"To see you, and its weird that I got in here without Arign knowing."
"Heh." She tried to lighten up. "I bet he knew."