Light of the Heavens

XLI. Always and Only

Crossed spears stopped Vassa and Rhujag in their tracks. The two ceremonial guards at the doors to the oracle chambers seemed grim and focused. "No entry is permitted at this time."

Rhujag glanced over at Vassa and raised an eyebrow slightly, a sign that the orc was waiting for her to take the lead.

"Is there a reason to bar us from speaking with the oracles?" Vassa asked, care lingering in her tone. She knew she would have to go carefully now and probably draw on her own magic to circumvent the issue. "We come on behalf of Her Highness, Seben Femi."

The guard's expression remained unforgiving. "By order of the King."

Vassa knew appealing to reason would get her nowhere, nor would she be able to leverage Seben's permission since the young woman was lower status than her uncle. That meant using the tools she was least fond of. "Surely you can allow us a moment of their time. We will be brief and speak of nothing of import. You deserve a good, long rest." Her voice was smooth and dark, oily syllables winding around their minds. She pressed harder and harder the moment she felt a give.

The two men collapsed onto the floor, dead asleep. Vassa nudged them into more comfortable positions and then pushed open the door.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rhujag muttered.

"Agreed." Vassa opened her inner eye and saw flickers of taint crawling across the room like threads of darkness, lingering hints of the Devouring Dark. "It seems the King paid them a visit. I wonder how much remains."

The orc's brows knitted together. "You think he hurt the oracles?"

"I think it is a possibility we cannot ignore," Vassa said as she led the way deeper, through the ceremonial chamber towards the living quarters for the oracles. Dread slowly crept into the pit of her stomach, echoing off the empty halls.

"Are they still asleep at this hour?" Rhujag's tone held identical misgivings.

Vassa opened the door at the end of the hall. There, seated in relaxed positions, acting perfectly normally, were the oracles they sought. Or so it would have appeared, without Vassa's second sight. She flinched back when she saw them, sucking holes of darkness where once souls had been. They were husks, carrying through the motions. One was pouring tea into an overflowing cup, another scrubbing the floor in a place that was already pristine. The others sat quietly, staring with vacant eyes.

Rhujag growled fiercely. "They are not acting as they should."

"There is nothing left inside them," Vassa whispered, sick to her stomach. "This is worse than killing them." She looked at Rhujag. "Clearly he has been making his own preparations. Denying us access here limits what we can learn in Ethilir."

"So what do we do?" the orc muttered.

Vassa heard rapid footsteps and pressed a finger to her covered lips. She stepped into the shadows around a corner and Rhujag attempted to do the same, though his armor's creak no doubt  betrayed his position. With her inner eye open, Vassa caught the brilliant light of an oracle approaching.

"Please, help me!"

It was Seer Yuya. He looked disheveled and frightened, but his spirit was clearly intact. Vassa stepped out of her hiding place. "That is why we are here."

Rhujag frowned at the man. "Must have hidden well."

The ceremonial blindfold still covered the old man's eyes, but the horror was plain in his voice when he whispered, "I heard everything."

Vassa tried not to think about the sounds a person would make when their soul was ripped out of their body and drained to nothingness. "We must get you away now, before he realizes one remains," she said as she stepped towards him, holding out a hand.