Chapter 10 - The Oracle

Chapter 10 – The Oracle


Dreading her upcoming encounter with the Oracle, the knot in Felina’s gut grew as she ate, dressed and prettied herself. She put on a necklace with a dragon pendant hanging from its chain, knowing the talisman would protect her from the Oracle’s unpredictable behavior.

Neighbors of the Oracle stayed away from its location on the Mountain of Visions. If anyone had climbed it other than a qualified member of the OCD, Felina did not know of them. Wizards had created the Oracle long before her time. It only responded to OCD magicians so Felina sought its guidance only when dealing with matters involving Acumen. She needed his protection to contend with the phantom soul.

The expedition would take most of the day. Felina joined her filly Athena; a horse she considered a jewel among animals. “We must reach the Mountain of Visions before noon if we expect to get back by nightfall.”

Athena neighed. Felina stroked the back of her horse’s mane.

Taking a highway east until she came upon a lesser-used northern trail, the mountain soon appeared as they approached its base. She fought down her impulse to flee and led Athena to a path of stairs made for two-legged creatures. Her stomach revolted as she recalled her past experiences with the invisible entity.

She dismounted and said, “Stay put. I’ll be back.” Despite the fact that the mountain terrified Athena, the horse wouldn’t bolt. The bond of love between her and her master was enough to keep her waiting for Felina’s return.

The witch strengthened her resolve and started up the path. The wizards carved the stairs out of the mountain with the intention of discouraging trespassers. The irregular angles and spacing between the steps made the climb difficult for Felina, causing to fall on the turf. She had to grab for a handhold to stay on the trail.

She reached summit entering a clearing concealed by a circle of cedar trees. In the center stood a six-foot tall, black obelisk. Knowing the monolith was only an icon, Felina prepared for the one way interaction with the Oracle. Her mind would be interrogated while the Oracle’s essence remained would remain hidden from her.

Felina’s fear now turned to terror. She approached the pillar, bent down on one knee, and slipped the dragon charm from its necklace. Touching it to the surface of the column, she said, “Great Oracle, I request counsel regarding the welfare of my Order.”

The air turned hot and humid. She fell to her belly and entered a world of darkness. Booming thunder contrasted with high-pitched screeches. The Oracle began to read her thoughts. The exposure of her inner self gave her the sensation of being psychologically raped. She felt guilty and ashamed. Her memories were sopped up like blood sucked from its host by a leech. Unable to understand the alien being she hated it.

The temperature changed from hot to cold. Felina crossed her arms and clutched them to her breast. Knowing the shift in temperature had no basis in reality, she shivered just the same. She knew this signaled the end of The Oracle’s input cycle and the beginning of its response.

A purple mountain appeared in her mind. The volcano was Acumen’s home, although she did not know how she knew this, never having seen it before.

The wizard lay on a slab of marble with torches lining both sides. A procession of onlookers passed by, laying flowers by his side and kissing his cheek. A figure at Acumen’s head wore the sorcerer’s gown. Felina forgot her horror and cast her eyes upward to the familiar figure.

#

Regaining consciousness, Felina wondered how long she had been lying there. She checked that the Oracle had not burnt her skin, although she already knew it did not leave marks. Her fear subsided and she returned the dragon pendant around her neck. The Oracle was spent.

Felina considered what it had shown her. Her interpretation of Acumen’s health was correct. He was dying. Lowering her head, she thought, I will not cry. The passing of a great man should be an occasion for celebration rather than be a cause for mourning.

She descended the mountain with as much haste as possible. The sun blazed, without any cloud cover to dampen its bite. It burned the back of her neck as she hurried down the hill.

Athena waited for her at the bottom. Felina mounted the bay and headed for home intending to seek the Major’s company.

“Every woman needs a good man and a good horse,” she said to Athena. “Though I’m not sure in which order.”

#

Opal arrived at Tinder’s trial early in order to guarantee herself a good seat. She had mixed feelings about the trial. On one hand, she regarded Tinder to be somewhat of a dolt. On the other, she empathized with his plight.

She viewed the Red Arena where the trial was to be held. Stone seats surrounded a central pit, with a stage occupying the center of the field. The platform contained a wooden podium with seven chairs forming a semicircle behind it.

Opal flattened a blanket on the ground and munched on jerky while waiting for the trial to begin. Eating might appear in bad taste, but she was hungry and needed a way to pass the time. Succeeding waves of onlookers made her feel claustrophobic as they filled the arena. Her spirits were lifted when Fiona arrived.

“Thanks for saving me a seat,” said Fiona. “How do you feel?”

“I don’t know,” said Opal. “He deserves what they give him. But I hope they don’t send him away. I don’t want to go back to being the only troll in Fern.”
“Hey, it looks ready to begin.”

Seven women filed in from below the stage to take up the places behind the lectern. Felina arrived, taking the place behind the podium and Tinder was led to stand beside her. Opal could only imagine how he felt.

Felina stood behind the dais and addressed the crowd. “My fellow residents of Fern, members of the Red Guard, and servants of the Order of the Crimson Dragon: Tinder stands accused of violating our coven’s most sacred law at our Spring Equinox Ceremony. He spied on our ritual by hiding in a small closet in the Chamber of Magic. He may not have understood the seriousness of our law, but he knew he was doing wrong. The penalty for this is banishment from Fern.”

Felina turned and addressed the troll. “Tinder, how do you plead?”

Looking down, the he replied, “I beg forgiveness.” He raised his head and looked at the spectators. Forgiveness from: you, my friends, my co-workers and even those of you I haven’t met yet. I know I had no excuse for my actions but I still ask to make whatever amends I can. I don’t wish to be forced to depart from Fern. It took me all my life to find a family like this, and I don’t want to lose it now.”

Various spectators clapped.

“I think we can all see that Tinder made a great mistake,” said Felina. “Yet, we can not ignore the magnitude of his crime. The only allowable penalty is exile. However,” she raised her voice, “this is not the sentence he should receive.”

Opal heard protests from the audience. The trollkin remained quiet, unsure of what to think.

“Let me explain, please,” said Felina.

The crowd hushed.

“From what I learned during the Spring Equinox Ceremony, I suspected that Acumen might be sick. The Oracle confirmed this. Acumen is dying.” Felina waited for the cries of the audience to subside before continuing. “Ever since Tinder arrived, I wondered whether it was more than chance that brought him to us. The rite Tinder observed is secret, so I can not reveal the exact events that took place, but for those of us who were present, we can all testify that Acumen sent a clear signal expressing personal interest in Tinder. I did not understand Acumen’s concern at the time and felt I needed more information. That is why I consulted the Oracle. I found out that our leader has his own intentions regarding Tinder; he has chosen the troll as his replacement.”

Opal went into shock.

“His heir if you like,” said Felina. “Tinder has been selected to become the future head of the Order of the Crimson Dragon. Therefore, the only finding this court can reach is to send Tinder to the Wizard’s Vale to apprentice under Acumen.”

Unable to contain herself, Opal rose to her feet. She screamed, “He breaks our highest law, and you are going to reward him for it?”

Felina turned towards her. “Shush, my dear. Think about what you are saying. For one thing, he is not being rewarded. A troll traveling to Shorehorn must pass through many perils on the way. An even more substantial consideration is that becoming the head of the OCD is the supreme act of unselfishness. He must give up his own objectives in life to serve the Order.”

“I stand corrected,” said Opal, resuming her seat. Embarrassed, she tried to meld into the background as people turned and stared at her. Still, she couldn’t help but think that she had worked for years for the OCD, while Tinder had never even heard of it before coming to Fern. Acumen passed his staff to an unknown troll where it should have been someone more worthy such as herself.

Felina turned towards Tinder. The troll clasped and unclasped his hands while shifting his weight from one foot to another.

Opal wondered what she would do if she were in his position. Having been free for such a short time, he now faced making a decision that would change his whole life.
“Before proceeding any further, you must know that taking this position can only be voluntary. No one can require you to accept it. If you are willing to make this vow, please state so now.”

Tinder squirmed.

“Of course, you may have more time if you need it,” said Felina.

Tinder lifted his head, squared his shoulders, and stood still. He responded, “I would be less than honest if I were to say I’m not more than a little uncomfortable with this burden. Yet, I also just told you that I would make whatever amends this council deemed fair. Along with gaining freedom, my other motivation for escaping from slavery was to use magic to stop slavery, and govern the troll nation. Now that I have the chance, I can’t squander the opportunity. I’ll stand by my earlier promise and accept.”

Felina answered Tinder, “Be careful with your words, Tinder. The head of the Order serves his subjects. He is not meant to police all the wrong-doing of Planerock.
Opal read relief in Felina’s face.

“Many may wonder at the choice of Tinder for this office,” continued Felina. “It is not our place to determine his fitness for the job. Acumen is the only one who can decide that, so if he is satisfied then we must be too.”

Tinder smiled. “Thank you for your faith in me, although I am not sure I share it.”
“I will now turn over the formal remains of this process to our committee.” Felina stepped to the back of the stage.

The seven witches deliberated only a few moments before their spokesperson, Hayguyr, seized the stage. She proclaimed, “We rule, seven to zero, to pardon the accused due to unusual circumstances.”

Opal clapped along with the rest of the throng. “I think there may be more to our troll than I suspected,” she shouted in Fiona’s ear. “And I know how I am going to find out.”

“How’s that?” yelled Fiona back.

“I’m going along,” said Opal.