Aizen walked with Captain Philo down the center of the main road towards the southern gate. In his company, the Captain had two guards walking in front of them, leading the way. Their garb was similar to Merricks from the night before: chainmail covered by a teal hooded cloak. The settlement bustled with activity. Guards patrolled the paths, escorting farmers to their fields. Women and children tended to linens and preserved food, while men built new homes or cleared land in the forest.
"Tis quite the achievement making as far as you have, Voidling Aisek." Captain Philo said sternly.
Aizen glanced at Captain Philo, noting the man's towering frame and the deep scar peeking beneath his eye patch. Philo's imposing presence contrasted sharply with Merrick's welcoming demeanor.
"It all boils down to luck, Not much more," Aizen responded plainly. Captain Philo chuckled.
"I am sure! Alas, your reputation precedes you. A Voidling offered a spare room by a Druid family. Intriguing, to say the least."
Aizen shrugged, "Right place, right time, I suppose."
Philo's eyes narrowed, "Curious, though. A Voidling possessing several of those ability stones, well, surely, they can't all be registered."
Aizen's eyes narrowed as he met Captain Philo's disdainful gaze. His jaw clenched, muscles tensing under the giant man's scrutinizing stare.
"When you live in the plagued lands, I doubt it matters much." Aizen said menacingly.
Aizen hadn't intended to begin a conflict with the Captain, especially after Merrick and Healia's hospitality. Aizen feared that his stay with them may have endangered Merrick somehow by being sympathetic to a Voidling and even offering them room and board.
"Come, enough talk, we have arrived."
The duo stopped before a hut with a brick chimney in the back billowing a pinkish smoke. Captain Philo went to knock upon the wooden door, but it flew open before his knuckles could make contact.
A woman in purple robes burst out, her wild, frizzy hair bouncing, "No, no, no, no knocking needed, Philo. I saw you coming!" she exclaimed, her large round glasses magnifying her excited eyes that looked with careful observation.
"Ah, Lady Marionette, I have brought the Voidling you envisioned." Captain Philo announced, stepping aside.
"Aah!" she gasped, scurrying out, "You are much younger now than I envisioned, Aizen."
Goosebumps prickled Aizen's skin. No one in Obai knew his real name, not even Merrick.
"Aizen?" Captain Philo mumbled, deep in thought, glancing at Aizen once more. "Did she say your name was Aizen, Aizek?" Captain Philo inquired sternly, crossing his arms.
"Could I have been mistaken?" Lady Marionette asked, turning her head.
Hesitantly, Aizen spoke, "A common mistake? It happens all the time. My name is Aisek." Aizen said with a wary laugh.
"Indeed, indeed, visions are subject to dissonance; quite frankly, what is forse-" Lady Marionette claimed.
"On the contrary," Captain Philo interjected, "Lady Marionette has never been wrong in the past." Captain Philo leaned in, his brown eyes sharp and unyielding. Aizen felt an oppressive weight settle over him, the air thickening as the Captain's presence loomed large, suffocating.
"Now, Captain, mistakes are bound to happen. This issue does not even break the surface of the future." Lady Marionette said frantically, now understanding the tension between the two men.
The Captain ignored the Oracle, leaned close to Aizen's ear, and whispered in a low growl, "Makes me think you're hiding something, Voidling."
"Oh, how convenient for you if I were." Aizen glared back at the Captain, whose green eye was sharp and keen.
"That is enough! Captain!" the Oracle boomed, "I must speak with the Voidling! Save your childish quarrel for another time."
Captain Philo stood up straight and flared his nostrils. Through gritted teeth, he growled, "Another time, Voidling. I hope your travels to the walls are with haste." He turned and made his way toward the southern gate. Aizen watched as the Captain shouted orders at his men, striking fear into them as they hurried to obey.
"Never mind the Captain." Lady Marionette said, beckoning Aizen's attention, "Voidling or Druid, he is wary of many." She laughed worriedly.
"Obviously," Aizen murmured, "but it's nothing I couldn't handle."
"I'm aware! I saw visions of you in Meold! Mmm. Mmm. It was a spectacle, albeit absolutely terrifying," Lady Marionette said, recalling the memory as if she were there. Aizen felt worried, for he feared the woman might know more than she let on.
Lady Marionette stood as if in a trance but then shook her head violently and beckoned Aizen inside, "Come, Come, for we have much to discuss."
Inside the Oracle's home, plant life flourished. Insects and critters scurried about, and moss covered the walls. Hand-made planters held various plants, while small trees in large pots stretched their branches toward the room's center, creating a canopy. A cauldron in the fireplace billowed pinkish smoke up the chimney.
Aizen looked about the room in awe. He had never seen a home so flush with life. Lady Marionette smiled as she brushed the branches aside and showed Aizen a seat on a bed of moss in the enclave. In the center of the enclave was a little tree stump with a small saucer of clear, calm water.
Lady Marionette sat opposite the stump and examined Aizen as he looked around the room, taking in every tiny detail.
"I took inspiration from the fairy tales of old." she said softly, "In the old story books, an adventurer accidentally entered a den of the Fungearie, and I remember it being described as an oasis of nature and life."
"Ah, I know what you speak of: A Wanderer's Tale. It is said to be inspired by the legends of Xander the Wanderer himself."
"So you are familiar with the ancient tales."
"How could I not. Those tales are read to children at bedtime, as my mother read to me." Aizen lowered his head, honoring the memory of his mother.
"Do you still have family, Aizen?" Lady Marionette said with a dastardly grin.
"So you know then? My true name?" Aizen asked.
Lady Marionette nodded, her eyes sharp and focused upon Aizen, "I possess the eye, young Aizen, and with it, I can peer into time an unravel its tangled threads. That is how I learned your name, as if from a lingering echo. If it were yesterday, I would not have known your name and would have called you by your pathetic excuse for an alias, but, alas, even simplicities escape the brilliant and the brawn."
Aizen wrinkled his face. "Okay, then." He clearly did not understand the clairvoyant nature of the Oracle's power. Well, to answer your question—no, I am the last of my name, although it was not worth much to begin with." He chuckled shyly.
"That may be true for you, but you used to wish to rise to greater heights, did you not?" Lady Marionette studied Aizen with mystical eyes.
"That was a long time ago," Aizen said quietly, "I'm just making my way through the world now."
"Indeed it was and is; you're just a scavenging wanderer." Lady Marionette smiled slyly.
Furly flashed across Aizen's face, his fists trembling. He lunged forward, slamming his hand onto the tree stump, sending ripples through the saucer's calm surface.
"Do not call me that!" Aizen boomed! The saucer upon the stump sifted, spilling its contents. Aizen was quick to reserve himself, drawing his hand back. However, Lady Marionette was not taken aback by the outburst and calmly inhaled a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Aizen, I beseech you, for I know the extent of your abilities." Lady Marionette said plainly.
"You know nothing!" Aizen clinched his fists with rage.
"Aizen, I know as much as I am given. I have seen it, a prophecy has been foretold." Lady Marionette asserted.
"And what have I to do with it!" Aizen fumed.
"Well, it is not you, per se, but you are involved. I have seen merely glimpses." Lady Marionette said aggravatingly
"I am involved, yet I am not the one prophesized. What does that mean?" Aizen began tapping on the stump repeatedly, causing ripples in the saucer.
"The future is unclear, for there are multiple paths to be taken, but the time of the pillars draws near. Something is making its move, and Goddesses aim to quash it." Lady Marionette was growing increasingly irritable.
"It's been two decades! Two decades of darkness has left the world in ruin," Aizen roared, rising to his feet. "If an evil threat made a move, then the move has already been made! It is far too late to be speaking of prophecies!"
"You must not question the Goddesses, for they were once mortal, as are you!" Lady Marionette pleaded.
"To the abyss with those Goddesses!" Aizen cursed.
Having had enough, Lady Marionette outstretched her arms in a flurry of fury. Her eyes began to glow, filling with unimaginable color as darkness set in within the home as if casting a spotlight on the oracle. The iris of her eyes twirled the colors of the rainbow. She spoke in an angelic yet malevolent chant that gracefully pierced Aizen's ears. Yet, his mind's eye understood every word. Her words distorted and shook the very fabrics of Aizen's mind with each syllable uttered from her lips. He clasped his ears, hoping to shield them from each utterance as he limped over onto the ground-
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Aizen Krysler, I have come to warn thee. There have been visions of a future; the prophecy that has been foretold shall change the course! The Chosen Three shall be deemed!"
Lady Marionette lowered her arms, and her eyes ceased to glow. The light that enveloped her disappeared, and the home returned to its natural order. Aizen lay on the ground, rattled, breathing heavily; it had been a long time since he last experienced the vehemence of the Lingua, the chant of the oracles, the language of the Goddesses.
Only Druids with the eye can access the potent linguistic prowess of the Lingua through connection with the Goddesses. In the many Cathedrals scattered across the world, the oracles used to lead their congregations with their chants in praise of Goddesses. Aizen knew this well; he remembered the angelic voice of Lady Karina and her covenant sisters when attending the congregations as a child.
"Rise, Aizen. Rise!" Lady Marionette beckoned.
Aizen struggled to lift himself up. He felt as if all his energy had left him all at once. He clutched his emerald necklace, and the healing stone glowed as he concentrated upon it, restoring his energy.
"Ah, yes. My apologies, Aizen. I forget the Lingua affects the Voidlings more so than the Druids."
"'Tis alright, Lady Marionette," Aizen said, having lifted himself back to a comfortable position upon the moss bed. "I apologize. I was out of line. I have forgotten my manors." He apologized, bowing his head to Lady Marionette.
"Now, now, no need for formalities. Though I may possess the eye of an oracle, I do not hold the same status as my old Covenant colleagues back in the walls."
"So you were exiled?" Aizen said, dropping his jewel necklace that thumped against his chest.
"Left of my own volition. Their rules were too strict for me. You see, when a Druid is born with the eye-" She used her finger to stretch an eyelid, "-they come and snatch you up to induct you into their little club, the Covenant of the Clergy." She said mockingly, "I was always a rebellious spirit, but once learning that I was stolen from my family." She turned her head back and forth, clicking her tongue, "Unh uh, no sir, I was out of there. Quick to. And they just let me go. Made me wonder why all of'em just stay there." Lady Marionette said with a giggle.
Aizen sat in confusion; a moment ago, the woman nearly turned his brain to mush, and now she was telling him about her childhood. He scratched his head, attempting to make sense of his situation, but he couldn't help but ask,
"Lady Marionette, does the Covenant not know that you are out here? I know they do not take kindly to strays."
Lay Marionette burst into laughter, "Of course they do! But what are they going to do about it. I assume they leave me be as I am the only oracle living in this settlement. My rebelliousness probably suits the current climate of the world. Who else could do it?" Lady Marionette's girlish smile faded, her demeanor becoming more serious, "As the dark age set in, it became more evidently clear to me that even the darkness can evade our higher powers. Even having rejected the Covenant's teachings at first, it became abundantly clear that unity was more important than past squabbles."
Aizen lowered his head. He remembered well the onset of the plague. He remembered the wildness of the first corpses and the savagery of people as they cut down other survivors to save themselves. Aizen feared people more so than mindless corpses.
"The time is coming for the breaching pillars; the phenomenon draws near, and the Goddesses will soon make their three choices known."
"You're certain? Three? Not one, or two even?" Aizen asked, raising his head to meet the Oracle's eyes.
Lady Marionette nodded, "The visions I have seen clearly indicate that there will be Three Chosen. In the past only two have been chosen at most for grand tasks. This will be a first in human history."
"Tell me, what is so important about this prophecy that you needed to speak with me about it?"
Lady Marionette placed her hands delicately upon the stump table, leaned over close, and whispered, "The third chosen will be a Voidling, Aizen." A sense of dread overcame Aizen, and his body tightened. Lady Marionette sat back and waved a hand, "Fear not, for it is not you, Aizen."
"That was not what I fear. I pray that you play a trick on me," Aizen said anxiously.
"I do not." Lady Marionette declared confidently.
'It must be a hoax!" Aizen shouted worriedly, quickly clearing his throat and speaking quietly, "A Chosen Voidling? The Druids will run mad."
"Tis not, I'm afraid." Lady Marionette gave Aizen quizzical look. "No need to be coy,; nothingwe can do to change it."
"You are Druid, you would not understand." Aizen groaned, "This changes everything!"
Lady Marionette frowned, understanding, "I guess you're right."
Aizen looked down at his lap and stared into space, his mind racing over countless possibilities. Never in history had a Voidling been chosen to answer the call. After a moment, Aizen gathered his composure to get more information,
"And what was I doing in these visions?" He asked, lifting his head.
Lady Marionette met his gaze, "I could be mistaken, but it seemed as though you were traveling with them all. As to where, I am not sure. If I were to speculate, I would say that, well, given your history, you were somehow involved with the Chosen Voidling."
"And why is that?"
"Well, it seemed as if you all were heading to battle."
Aizen nodded. Voidlings are rarely on the battlefront. Aizen is unique to most; he is a special case amongst Voidlings. Some are battle-tested, but most Voidlings lack the resources to get their hands on an aetherite gem, let alone the money needed to attain registration from the Clergy. Moreover, he worried about why visions prophesized his presence with the Chosen.
"And what of my purpose?" Aizen demanded.
Lady Marionette pursed her lips, hesitating to speak.
"Visions of the future aren't the only things I witnessed."
Aizen got goosebumps; his breathing quickened as he realized his worst fear was confirmed.
"You see, Aizen, I-"
"You witnessed what happened all those years ago." Aizen interjected, "That's why you knew about that title."
Lady Marionette nodded and glanced aside, avoiding eye contact, "I understand your reservations."
Aizen sat quietly, his head drooping; it all made sense. Aizen's eyes clouded with sorrow as vivid memories surged forth. The screams, the chaos, the blood- they haunted him, a relentless torment that gnawed at his soul.
"It was a difficult time," Aizen spoke softly and quietly, his voice carrying a heavy ache. It happened so quickly; I was but an acolyte then." He cried.
Lady Marionette did not speak, allowing Aizen to seize this moment.
"The darkness took everything when it swept over." Aizen shook as he spoke, "The chaos that ensued could not be quelled and the people cried out for heroes who did not come."
"It is unfortunate what happened all those years ago. Hold your head up, Aizen, for the years have not broken you yet," Lady Marionette said firmly. Aizen raised his head, and his eyes met Lady Marionettes. She had assumed the man was wallowing in self-pity but was surprised to see a burning in his eyes.
"And what of my purpose?" He said with tearful determination.
Lady Marionette smiled, "I believe you know best what it means to join hands and the sorrow that comes with it. You know your own purpose better than I."
Aizen nodded; he understood what needed to be done. He stood up and brushed a branch aside but paused before exiting, turning back to the Oracle.
"Lady Marionette, I ask a favor from you although you owe me none," Aizen asked.
She nodded her head.
"I ask that you do not reveal my history to no one. I ask that you forget for now." Aizen said, "Someday, a time will come when all will be revealed, but now is not the time, especially in these uncertain times."
Lady Marionette nodded again and smiled, "What history?" the two exchanged a light-hearted smile, "Farewell, Aizek. Till we meet again."
Aizen bid Lady Marionette the Oracle farewell and exited the enclave, leaving her home. The sun shone high in the sky when Aizen stepped out from the hut onto the street. A dim warmth lingered in the air, overshadowed by a slight chill, just cold enough to warrant a coat and bring on a cold. However, he did not linger; no, he made his way directly to the home of Merrick and Healia.
He retrieved his things from the spare room and encountered Merrick as he attempted to leave the home unnoticed.
"He speaks with the Oracle, and then suddenly, he must leave. I assume she provided an excellent premonition." Merrick said with a friendly smile and a hint of intrigue.
"I am sorry, my friend, but I must go. There is something I must do, someone I must find." Aizen said, avoiding eye contact.
Merrick smiled. "I assumed as much." He shoved a burlap sack containing bread and dried meats into Aizen's arms. "Take care, my friend," Merrick wished, patting Aizen on the shoulder. Aizen looked down at the sack and then at his friend.
"Thank you, Merrick. I will find you next time I pass through."
Aizen left Obai, heading north on the Southeastern Main road towards the Northern Bend. The tall pines cast dappled sunlight on his path, and the crisp air carried the songs of jubilant birds. The Northern Bend served as one of his many checkpoints. Here, a small stone shelter he built years ago stood by a pond connected to a stream, offering him a temporary refuge on his journey.
A day's walk from the Northern Bend led east out of the pine forest and into the rolling plains. From the forest's edge, the curtain wall of Meiarldorn became visible on the shore. By day's end, a hilltop shack surrounded by three oak trees served as Aizen's final checkpoint before reaching the walls, providing a safe haven from the creatures of the night.
At this shack, Aizen stored his gear before traveling to the walls. To Captain Philo's credit, Aizen did not possess documentation for all the aetherite gems in his possession, a fact that Aizen struggled with. He harbored no desire to stop at the shack. He actually despised it, for it had no protective enchantments upon it of which a Voiding like Aizen could not cast, but, alas, it was secure enough for Aizen's needs. To enter the walls, Aizen must store most of his armor, which he kept beneath the floorboards, or risk his gear being confiscated by the gate's entry guards for unregistered aetherite gems.
Aizen knew the laws of Farrisia well, and they did not support Voidlings. The Voidling ownership of aetherite gems is always in question in Ferrisa. Fortunately for Aizen, he had registered documents in his possession for his emerald necklace, the amber stone embezzled in his master's Waalean Blade, and a single aetherite gem that Aizen could affix to a Riasian wristlet; otherwise, Aizen must leave all aetherite gems behind. Unfortunately for Aizen, the majority of his aetherite gems were embezzled into multiple articles of his armor; therefore, he must leave behind his leather body armor and his bracers and substitute them for a more worn set Aizen kept for the whole purpose of entering the walled city.
Aizen knew the challenges awaiting him at Meiarldorn's walls. The grand Castle of the Clergy housed the nation's governing body, a complex bureaucracy led by governors and ministers who are now focused on expanding the city's walls and defenses. Their regulations on aetherite gems were strict, particularly for Voidlings like him.
There have always been strict regulations on aetherite gems, even long before the plague, but the results of that deadly disease have indeed made matters worse for people like Aizen. The relationship between Druids and Voidlings has been steadily declining for generations. Druids have been the backbone of Ferrisia since the onset of the plague, solely responsible for the walls' expansion effort with their sorceries and governing the nation.
The Voidlings lack the knowledge to use aetherite gems, or many could argue that a Voidling would never receive the chance to learn. The Clergy set forth and operated the rules and regulations of aetherite gem ownership, which has long been biased against Voidlings. Voidlings have lacked the opportunity to prove themselves throughout history. The Druids actively support these measures by making regulations more and more strict, even attempting to ban a Voidling's use of them even for everyday survival at one time.
This has resulted in many Voidlings living in poverty and facing constant discrimination, with little hope for a better future. Aizen regretted the current situation despite the times they lived in. Still, despite this, some Voidlings have managed to overcome these challenges and make a name for themselves in society.
The sun was setting over the Northern bend by the time Aizen arrived. Birds continued singing, and the wind rustled the branches as he approached the pond. The rushing stream babbled and splashed as the water rolled from the west. His stone shelter stood resolute; moss-covered its base on the outside, but the inside was barren; the grass had died in the shad of the structure and reduced to hard dirt. The cool of Autumn was setting in as the lingering warmth in the air disappeared and was replaced by a rigid chill. The pond was flush with small fish traveling up and down the stream. Aizen watched as squirrels bounded from branch to branch in the canopy.
Aizen sat before his structure, removed his boots, and stuck his feet in the cold water, easing his aching feet. He let out a sigh of relief as he did. He was glad to be back at his pond. Of all the checkpoints Aizen had scattered about Eastern Ferrisia, this spot was his favorite. He hoped to build a cabin on this spot one day, but he remembered the words of Lady Marionette.
"To what end do I strive for?" Aizen asked aloud, and only a cool breeze responded, whipping his long hair back.
He leaned back and looked up into the purple and orange of dusk as the sun set on the horizon beyond the forest to the east. The sun shone brightly through the gaps in the trees, shining upon Aizen, providing him the last warmth before the cover of night set in. Aizen basked in the sun's light before entering his lodging to rest, using his zircon stone to close the lodging with a sheet of rock, protecting him from the night.