Dire Radiance Part 1 "The Oracle"

Chapter 3 "The Defective Prophet"

At first, fortune favored the Graven King and his retaliatory campaign against the North. But things were beginning to change in the court. The advisers of the king grew suspicious of Nerif. Everything had gone wrong the day he had shown up. A war started, using up many of the kingdom's valuable resources. Then after the war had been won, Thiriston emerged from a conference with his prophet and announced his plans for war. Noble families who had held positions in the court for generations feared that their power was being threatened. Infighting among the four clans began as they attempted to maintain order among the noble houses. The king's main advisers decided it was time to take action.

Nerif sat quietly on his shabby bed, contemplating his plans for the future. He heard footsteps echo down the hall, and a quiet knock on his closed door.

"Is this the room of Nerif the prophet?" a timid female voice asked.

"It is. Enter." Nerif replied, annoyed at this sudden interruption. The door opened and in came a small elven woman. She was about 5 foot 1, modestly dressed, and had red hair and hazel eyes. Nerif looked upon her with curiosity. After about a minute, the two finished examining each other and the woman spoke.

"I am Arlayna. My father is the leader of clan Raeg. I've come to warn you of recent events that have come to pass among the king's advisers. They have petitioned the Pallid Sibilys to reclaim you, saying that you are defective. If you do not act quickly, you will be taken away!"

"Why are you telling me this?" Nerif inquired, growing uneasy at this new development. "What do you gain from my continued presence here?"

"Let's just say my clan has a vestested interest in you," she said with a grin. "I have a feeling that these recent events were not simply fate, and should things continue this way it could be beneficial for both of us."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"I know what you can do. I know you control fate." Arlayna stood in silence, allowing her words to sink in. Nerif considered his options, and decided to admit his powers.

"Yes, you are correct. I wondered how long it would be before someone connected the dots. While my abilities are limited, I can influence the flow of events to my will should it be beneficial for me to do so." Nerif found himself trusting this woman, although he couldn't quite determine why. "What do you propose we do?" he asked.

"You're the prophet here, not me. Just do what you think is best. I am only here as a warning." And with that final remark, she disappeared as quickly as she had come. What were this woman's true intentions, Nerif wondered. Whatever the case, he must act quickly. He began to plan.

As morning came, Nerif rose with a smile. As he entered the great hall for the daily meeting of the court, all eyes turned to him. Whispers erupted among the nobles, but this bothered Nerif not. He took his seat by the throne and awaited the start of the meeting. As the steward ran through the itinerary, Nerif overheard one of the nobles mention the petition to the Pallid Sibilys, and he acted on it.

"Did I hear you correctly? You have spoken to the Sibilys?" Nerif inquired casually, "How is she doing nowadays? I had the craziest dream last night that the entire Incubarium collapsed. Clearly that's insanity, right? It has stood for hundreds of years." This comment had the very satisfying effect of casting a nervous silence over the hall. The meeting continued as usual, and once it adjourned he retired to his quarters. He leafed absentmindedly through a book he had read a thousand times before. He was feeling very drained, as his latest prophesy had required much power and effort on his part, but soon it would pay off. He slipped into bed for a quick rest before the news courier arrived.

Nerif awakened with a jolt to the confused murmuring of the humans in the great hall. The time has come, he thought to himself. He dressed in his most formal attire and stepped into the hall.

"There he is! What have you done!" a noble bellowed.

"What is all the ruckus about?" Nerif asked casually, already knowing the answer.

"News has just come that an avalanche has destroyed the Ivory Incubarium and killed the Pallid Sibilys! And it is said that earlier today you mentioned a dream predicting this very event!" the noble replied.

"Oh, how very awkward. I assure you, this news saddens me greatly." Nerif said with false sadness. He returned to his quarters to "mourn", and the nobles continued to murmur among themselves. And so it came to pass that the nobles of the court began to resent, even fear Nerif. Could he really have done such a horrible thing in order to prevent his return to the Incubarium? Thiriston, however relished in this new development. He would gain Nerif's trust, and in return make fate his personal plaything. Victory in his quest to conquer the North was now assured!

It was not until much later that the king realized just how wrong he was.

Hey everyone! Sorry for the gap between chapters. I got really busy and lost the drive to write, but I will try to get back to writing regularly. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment if you have any ideas on how I can improve to make this story the best it can be!