All the King's Men Part 2

King sat in the rowboat and kept going over the things he was going to ask the Grand Oracle. It helped that the three other soldiers they brought with them were rowing while Syn and himself were sitting at the back of the boat, he could stare at the black water and think only of the task at hand.

Syn was the first to break the silence, ⌠King.... why do you want to know what happened... it will not change the past." she spoke slowly and bluntly. The other men didn't say anything to either discount or encourage her but the knew how she felt. Granted most of the army knew how she felt about King.

King turned to her and narrowed his eyes, ⌠I was ripped from my body... I want to know how and why it happened." he then turned back to the water. Syn refused to say anything further for not wanting to anger him further.

The soldiers also kept their mouths shut, knowing that at this time their task was rowing to the island in the center of the lake.

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It was far into nightfall by the time they reached the island. King had thought it would take this long due to the stories that were told to him about the Grand Oracle. Only the Boatman could row the boat himself to and from the island within the span of an hour. Anyone else it would take a day... if not more.

The three jumped out and pulled the boat up onto the beach. Syn leapt out and landed on the wet sand then turned back to King who was standing at the water's edge. His eyes still locked at the dark water before him.

⌠The water here is as warm as a bath... the water at the far shore is as cold as Ice." he said to no one. Syn did not comment and just helped the three drag the boat up onto the shore to keep it from floating away and stranding them on the island.

The island was shrouded in a thick gray fog. Syn had seen this before when she was younger, when she had come to the Grand Oracle. It angered her to be back on the island, back where the Grand Oracle rested. She clenched her hand tightly and let out a soft growl.

⌠Calm yourself Syn." King patted her shoulder, " Tessa is gone... just the Oracle and the fog here now."

Syn nodded but kept her guard up. In accordance to the laws of the Grand Oracle they had to leave their weapons with the boat. Syn believed this was to keep what happened to the boatman from happening to the Oracles.

The three soldiers made their way ahead. They were well trained in unarmed combat but like all of the soldiers in the army of the kingdom of the Wind, still they enjoyed the feel of the cloth grips... it was comforting to them.

The temple was large and made of pure white marble. Carvings along the front columns and entryway depicted their view of how the world was created... how the Dark Ones sacrificed themselves to create the world and from that the gods sprang from their final death throes.

King had heard this many times before from Mages. They stated that the gods departed the magic to those on the planet that they found worthy... the first ones were powerful and some are still among the living... though their descendants state that their ancestors rest in the land beyond life. Only one creature in creation knows the truth... the Grand Oracle.

He turned to the soldiers and told them to wait outside. Syn looked on and waited for him to say the same to her but he did not. He simply walked through the doors of the temple and reached the inner sanctum and was greeted with a body lying on the floor of the temple. King let out a howl of rage, ⌠DAMN IT!"

Syn walked around the room... trying to see if any of the priests survived. After searching the temple it looked like they had all been slain. The trip had been in vain.

King felt as if his long search for the truth to those missing hours were forever lost and he fell to his knees and slammed his fist into the solid marble floor... feeling it slightly give way to the force of his blow.

⌠Please..." a voice croaked out,■ Do not take your anger out on my floors."

King's eyes quickly searched for the owner of the voice... yet were greeted by one of the corpses slowly getting to its feet. The bodies around it also began to stir... until nearly every corpse was standing and smacking their holy robes to clear them of dirt.

⌠King?" Syn slowly griped King's shoulder and trembled with fright. She had seen undead before... they all had... yet these were holy men... they were beyond the power of a necromancer...

King however nodded, ⌠I am sorry Grand Oracle...■ he then slowly stood up and smiled. ⌠I will send a tithe to the temple to pay for any damages."

The man that was the Grand Oracle nodded and reached out slowly... King thought he was gesturing for him to come closer when one of the now living priests walked up to the Grand Oracle with a large wolf mask.

King watched... he did not know of what happened inside the temple... that was left for those that entered the temple... no one else...

The Grand Oracle took the mask from the priest and smiled before slipping the mask onto his face... It was small... painted like as if an ancient primitive had taken finger paints and made a crude idol. Yet as soon as The Grand Oracle's hands were down at his side his body began to cave in on itself... his arms became bone thin... his hands shrinking back into his bracers... which were slowly growing and crawling with glowing runes... The holy robes fell from his body, leaving him in just the bottoms of his robes... his stomach shrank and caved in as if someone had scooped it out and sucked the skin against the ribs and spine of the body...

Syn took a deep breath and disturbed the moment for King... he turned to see if his friend was doing alright... however he saw her face turning white... her mouth hanging open in fear.

King turned back to the Grand Oracle... or rather the thing that was the Grand Oracle.... the image had changed to that of a monstrous form... The mask had grown to nearly half the size of the Oracle... its form no longer looked as if an ape man took finger to pain but rather as if a living wolf demon had taken its face and placed it on the mask... Its eyes glowed a horrid green and the nostrils flared...

Its hands were large claws... each finger suspended in air... its feet were large... like King's... large and animalistic... however it sported two talon like toes.

King swallowed and approached the Grand Oracle.

⌠Gran...■

The Oracle raised his hand and shook his head, ⌠Do not speak.. Talus... do not speak unless I say you can." The voice sounded as if two people were speaking... one the Grand Oracle and the other a gravely dark voice... filled with eons of hate and anger. " I know you come to see why you do not know what happened to your first Queen."

King nodded. He thought about saying more but because of what the Grand Oracle had said he stayed quiet.

" Want me to tell you?"

King nodded and felt Syn's grip tighten on his shoulder.

" You were there... Talus... you were there and you saw everything... however you were also not there... you did not see anything that happened." The mask of the Oracle seemed to smirk at this. " Now you may leave."

King's mouth opened... but his voice did not rise more than a whisper... Syn growled out loud, " NO!" she stomped forward and poked the Grand Oracle in his bony ribs. " WE WILL NOT LEAVE!"

The Oracle nodded. Syn stepped back and for a moment it seemed as if the Oracle would say something but instead two priests stepped up and grabbed her. Pulling her outside of the temple... while two others waited by the doors... shutting the doors after Syn was thrown out of the temple and the two priests walked back through the doors and the two that had followed them shut the doors and bolted them.

King glanced around... It was just himself, the Oracle, and the priests.. .

" Speak.... what do you really want? You know what happened... now tell us what you want." The Oracle seemed to gaze through King... making him feel naked and totally defenseless...

" I do not know what happened... " King sighed.

The Grand Oracle shook his head, " No you have dreamed what happened... you have seen that other you... you have seen bits of his life... you know that there is another you that came here... then left... you know that you hate this other you... and want to make him as miserable as you are now... "

King closed his eyes and after many quiet moments he nodded, " I get visions of Jeddan... only ... she is different... I see friends... family... only different... they call me Trades... "

The Oracle nodded, " Yes... and what do you want?"

King thought and grinned... he had thought about this... he had not believed in a word all his life...

That day... the blackout and Tessla changed all that...

" I want revenge."

The Oracle nodded and raised his hands... the others in the room did the same. Chanting slowly. King grinned and closed his eyes.