The Vorrgistadt Saga: The Shattered Oracle - III - As Oracles are Wont to Do

III

As Oracles are Wont to Do

- Page Five -

"'Two years to prepare.' That's what Mom said. She mentions here in her letter how worried she is about going to the Ullthosian Temple. Few have gone and fewer have returned from that place. Apparently, it's a place of power. Where the tapestry of time frays and the barriers between worlds are weak."

"Serranos, are you saying she's going to die there, or that the whole thing is a mistake in time?"

Thraya scrunched up her nose as she spoke. This whole situation was more than she had learned about at the Collegium. Matters of divination, magick, the gods, and the celestial realms were all very complex but this wasn't an academic quandary, this was personal. Her attachment to the situation made everything muddy, uncertain, and very frustrating.

"Mom could die. Or she might not. Like the two gremlins said, it could just be an echo of what could be. An echo of what happened in another world based off of something that Mom did or didn't do. We won't know for certain until she does it."

"So what are we supposed to do then? How are we supposed to fix this? How are we supposed to understand what happened? Should we go to the Sanctum and stop her?"

Thraya cut into her brother's words as her nerves were beginning to wear. She never liked things that were confusing. She never liked being in situations she had no control over.

"We aren't. We won't."

The words came from her father at his desk. He didn't look up. His hands continued to shuffle paper, sorting them into neat piles for his written responses later.

"We trust in your mother's ability to do what she is in this world to do. She's the most powerful oracle known to our people. She can handle whatever is thrown her way. I don't care what happened in another version of reality. I don't care about the possibility of the matter. I don't care about phantoms in the night. Your mother will come back to us. Your mother will be fine. Your mother will accomplish what she set out to do."

Thraya's father cocked his head slightly to the side, stopping his sorting as he did so. He stared at the children from the side of his vision. The emotions cascading from him were those of raw determination and true faith in his wife's abilities.

"Go quandary about other matters. Go play like normal children, for the god's sakes. Know as I know, right now, that your mother will be fine. Stop giving power to shades and nightmares. Put your faith where it belongs, with our blood, with your Mom."

Thraya's father turned his gaze back to his work. He picked up a writing stick with his right hand and began to scratch away at a few papers in front of him.

"Don't mention it again. I'm not going to threaten a punishment. I shouldn't have to. You know as do I. Keep faith in your mother and don't mention it, again."

The children all looked to their father. Thraya got up to her feet. The twins sat motionlessly and then slowly got up into a slouch. Serranos had tucked the papers under his arm and got up as well. All of the children gave a nod towards their father's wishes and left the room quietly. Maybe some things were best left unknown — Thraya began to ponder in her mind — and some things simply can't be solved.

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