The Divination

Ξ ONE Ξ

Alessia massages her hands once again, trying to rub off the wrinkles her red skin bore. As she slowly rubs out the tight knot built under her skin a chilled breeze sweeps past her. Her head snaps to the left. The hair on her neck defies gravity as it stands. Closing her eyes, a slithering voice speaks behind her, she could practically feel its sub-zero breath invading her space. The heavy presence it carries overwhelms her.

"Stall work again and you'll be flogged" the voice hisses out. Alessia turns around to face the demon before her. A floating face with strings of coal black smoke as its body. His eyes drag down, long and twisted, like a painting ruined with a splash of water. Her golden eyes flick towards the demon once more before she bends down and begins wiping the grey stone pillar before her. Hating having to cooperate quietly she squeezes the sponge tightly letting drops of cold dirty water to be released and stain the floor. Her hands push against the slab of rock, sculptured into the shape of a gargoyle. No matter how hard she tries, the gargoyle never retains the shine it once held. The Golden Era was far too long gone to have maintained any form of legacy to prevent it from disappearing altogether. Her hand runs over its cracked face, polishing its hard eyes when she's interrupted by a blood-curdling scream. Alessia 's hand freezes halfway as the voice processes through her head and she realizes she recognises it.

Dropping the wet sponge she begins running towards the dome where the ear stricken shriek originated. Thousands of demons hiss at her, their sharp tongues flickering at her with venomous angst but she ignores them. Her bare feet slaps the cold granite ground as she attempts to reach the voice. Her heart begins beating faster, echoing in her head like an ensemble of drums before it reaches the climax. Taking a left she reaches the dome in which all the other slaves have collected. There in the middle is Viveca.

Her head rolls forward and backward, her violet eyes absent and instead replaced with a cloudy white. Alessia feels a sharp tug of her sleeve and makes eye contact with Venezia.
"What's happened?" she whispers; bringing attention to herself would only worsen the situation especially as she directly rebelled against the orders of the demons in charge of her.

"It's the Oracle. It's chosen Viveca" Venezia explains but her eyes are teary. Watching her sister being controlled and manipulated by the ghostly body of the Oracle was not a sight a loved one would want to bear their eyes on. Viveca screeched once more in pain as the Oracle entered her body. It needed a host in order to reveal the message it has been sent forth.

The heavy wooden doors, wrapped with black vines open and as they do so, the vines coil back to let their master step forward. King Zafar enters the dome, smog encircling his feet as he walks towards the throne. His long velvet cape drags behind him, collecting dust. He adopts a sly grin on his cold pale face and nods at a woman. She reveals herself from the darkness and smiles devilishly at the King, swaying her vivacious hips. Her long red hair cascades behind her and she pulls it to the side to reveal the long backless dress she wore. Ascending the steps that leads to the tall throne she slowly places herself on the King's lap, using her finger to seductively circle his chest. King Zafar grins and hugs her body close, his cold hands resting on her long white back.

Viveca's body is slowly risen forward. Her cold soulless eyes stare at the King before her. A few seconds of silence pass and then suddenly-

"My King, my King; What news I bring! Night or day, seconds or hour; the message I carry is the key to your power. Through fire and fight you've gained the throne; alas now you are not alone. Pure-blood has been smelt and hidden away; slaughter and slay if you wish to stay".

The Oracle's voice was soft yet harsh, quiet but still astounding. King Zafar's grin faltered. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for more but the Oracle stayed silent. Then slowly it oozed out of Viveca's body, releasing itself from her through her pores, letting the girl collapse to the cold hard ground. Venezia runs towards her sister, slapping her pale cheek lightly trying hard to pull her sister out of sleep.