Half Magic | Book 2

Five: Oracle

The girl who had brought me here pulled me toward the bed. Two of the others pushed the chair from the desk over for me to sit on and the last one remained still, watching the sleeping figure.

Once I was settled, the girl by the wall began snuffing out candles and oil lamps until there were about half as many sources of light to see by. I hadn't noticed before, but there were no windows at all. The only think keeping me from near-blindness was my elven eyes. Then, as quickly as she had snuffed out half the candles, she began lighting fresh ones from a box by the desk and the other girls set them around the room. After that, one of them put out the little pot that was making the sweet smoke in the room, and the others began fanning to clear the air of it.

As the smoke cleared, the figure on the bed stirred. Head to toe, they were heavily draped in bejeweled fabrics. So much so that I couldn't tell what was under them all. They were all light as air and dyed vibrantly, reminding me of the wildly colorful gardens in Dwellonmar. But these colorful scarves were no flowers, they were silks and veils that probably cost at least a gold coin each.

I could tell when the figure opened their eyes, because even through a layer of blue silk, I saw the golden glow of them. I gasped and the figure sat up slowly. The girls attended to the figure, helping it sit up and turning it to face me.

So there it was, a pile of colorful silks, sitting on the bed at watching me with it's glowing golden eyes through the layers of scarves. It's sleepy movements alluding to a human-like figure under the layers.

It was tall. I bet Thain would come only to it's shoulder. I should probably have been frightened, but instead I found myself holding back the desire to reach out and touch it.

"Hello, little one," they spoke, and a chorus of voices, men, women, children, all said the words at once. It was like talking to a room full of people, but only the golden eyed figure was addressing me.

"Hello," I breathed.

It moved under the fabrics, and even though I couldn't see it, I felt it smile.

"It is nice to see you in my waking hours," the voice-of-many-voices said, amusement in their tone. "I have been dreaming of you for a long time."

"Dreaming of me?" I licked my dry lips and leaned back in my chair. It was an effort. I knew in my head that I should be weary of a being like this, but I couldn't stop myself from liking it.

It laughed, a joyous sound that warmed the room. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. Usually I am the one who is sought out, not the other way around. Of course you do not know me."

The form lifted the first of it's many veils, slowly peeling off the colorful petals that hid it.

"The sight of me is difficult for those of little magic, but you will be fine. You may also remove your hood here, it is safe. I am known as the oracle, and dreams are how I receive my premonitions. I did used to have a name, but it is no longer necessary." The girls in the room helped the oracle pull the silks off, folding them neatly and piling them on the lounging chair to the side of the room.

I gratefully removed my cloak, brushing the hair off my neck and freeing my ears. I used to be ashamed of them, but now that I had to coop them up under my braids and cloak, I loved when I could let them out. I watched the girls at work, and as they finished, they retreated to the walls with their heads bowed. My eyes were wide as the last layer was lifted off, revealing a creature I had never seen even a remote resemblance of.

I couldn't distinguish the oracle between man or woman. They had pale skin that looked like water if water were green. They had two shoulders, one on each side, but when the arm reached the elbow it split and each side had two forearms and two hands. There was no hair on them at all, and they wore no adornments under the silks. Not that they needed it, their mesmerizing golden eyes were all the decoration any being could need. It was a struggle to focus my eyes on them.