Issac knelt on the ground and felt a shockwave of disbelief hit him, making his mind go blank. What was wrong with this woman?
"What was so funny?" he asked in a flat tone.
"Your face, Isaac. It was hilarious! You had this amazing look of defeat." She chuckled again.
"How do you know my name? Have we met before?" he thought as he studied her face, trying to jog his memory, but nothing about her seemed familiar.
"I know a lot about you, Isaac." Her blue eyes faded to a milky white, her face inches away from his. It felt like her stare could pierce his soul.
"I know you're a thief from a small village on the coast of the eastern continent. I know about the death of your parents. I know you are ordinary. No… maybe there is something. Your future is unclear even to me." Her eyes returned to their normal color. "Now Isaac, what does this tell you about me?"
He stared at her in disbelief and felt his jaw drop. He managed to utter a word. "An Oracle. Gifted with prophecies from one of the gods. Tasked with making a pilgrimage to the lost continent, to bring about an end to The Endless Night." He had heard the stories as a child, of people who could see into the past and future of others. Those who could receive visions of the fate of the world from a great god. He had always dismissed them as fables.
"Bingo!" she said with a grin.
"But the Endless Night is just a myth. There hasn't been an Endless Night in many generations." He protested.
"I have seen the signs. The old lords are rising and the shadows grow darker. Who else could have this power besides The Endless Night?" She countered.
He heard groans and retching sounds from the other pews, as the other captives woke up from their nightmares.
"It seems like the others are waking up. Everything will be clear soon." Azora smiled and went back to sit on her throne.
He heard groans of pain and questions of confusion from the other pews. "Where am I?" "What's going on?" "Who are you?" They dragged their feet towards the throne, as Azora had commanded. He stood up and watched them approach, curious about the other captives who were in the same predicament as him. The closest one was a man in full armor, with brown and windswept hair. His armor was pristine and shiny, with a lion emblem on his chest. It stood on its hind legs and clenched a dagger in its right hand. A serpent's tongue lashed out of its mouth and two stars flanked it on each side. It looked like a family crest of some noble house. A black scabbard hung on his left side, holding a long sword with a golden hilt that contrasted with the rest of his silver armor.
Behind him was a girl who looked like she was in her late teens. She rubbed her stomach with one hand, as if trying to ease the nausea. Her eyes were closed and she groaned as she walked forward, staggering from side to side. Issac couldn't help but crack a smile at the sight. She had long blonde hair that reached down to the middle of her back. She wore a purple tank top and purple and black plaid pajama bottoms.
He wondered what kind of person would steal a girl from her bed at night. He felt sorry for her and decided to say something.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked her softly. He was ignored.
The last man approached with a lazy stride, looking around the room with a bored expression. He seemed fine, unlike the others. He had long silver hair that he parted in the middle. He wore square-framed glasses that gave him a scholarly look, and a suit and tie that made him look like he belonged to a high-class party.
He whistled as he walked and said to no one in particular. "Well, this is quite a place. I wonder what's the occasion."
He glanced at the others and smirked. He didn't seem impressed by them at all.
"Welcome." Azora stood up and spread her arms to welcome the group. She smiled brightly, showing her perfect teeth.
"Are you our kidnapper?" The man with glasses asked in a friendly tone.
"I am Azora, Oracle of Lir. I have not kidnapped you. You may leave if you so choose. Tell me, is that your choice?" She replied calmly.
"My lady." The man with glasses bowed politely. "I will hear what you have to say." He said with a wink.
"Thank you for your time. I have gathered you all together because I have had a vision." Her eyes faded to a milky white again. "The world will be shrouded in darkness. The old lords will rise soon to take back the world for themselves. The Endless Night will come once more for us all. With him will come the fiends of the abyss. The shadows will grow in the east, the lands of the west will rumble. The south will give birth to the Prince of the Night. Look north for hope." Her eyes returned to their normal color and she paused.
The others gasped and whispered among themselves. They looked at her with awe and disbelief.
"A vision? The old lords? The Endless Night?" The man with glasses muttered.
"What does it mean? What do we have to do with it?" The girl in pajamas asked.
"Look north for hope? What hope is there?" The man in armor said.
"I have brought you all here for a reason." She looked at them with a hopeful expression. "I must journey north, but I cannot divine the outcome of this journey. Something much more powerful than me is blocking my sight. Will you all be my shield on this journey and protect me with all the strength you have? Will you be my friend and share my laughter and tears? Will you… become a Guardian?"
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Her words stunned everyone in the room, leaving them speechless. She had asked them to become Guardians, one of the greatest heroes in the legends he had heard as a child. People of immense power who protected Oracles as they traveled. One was said to be able to split the earth for miles with his blazing sword, causing fire to spread that burned for four moons. Issac didn't even know how to use a sword, he could barely fight. He was not one of those powerful figures. Those were things he could only dream about, and she wanted him to be one. He shook his head and laughed nervously.
"Me? A Guardian? You must be joking." He said.
The armored man stepped forward and declared. "I accept. I pledge my sword and even my life if need be."
"Thank you!" Azora said. "I shall accept your sword, but your life belongs to fate."
The man in glasses bowed politely and said. "I shall take this journey with you to all corners of the world. It would bring shame to my family if I did not accept this summoning."
"Thank you!" Azora smiled at him.
The girl in pajamas scratched her head and frowned. She looked unsure and confused. "Hmmm." She said. "Okay!"
"My thanks to you." Azora expressed her gratitude once again.
All Issac could think was that these people were crazy.
He felt dozens of eyes staring at him, making him uncomfortable. He couldn't see this ending well for him. His mind played countless scenarios of him dying in many ways. Azora sat on the throne and smiled at him. He felt that no matter what he said, she would not get angry. He decided to roll with it. When she realized her mistake, he would probably be sent away anyway.
"Yeah, whatever." He said casually. His words drew scornful gazes from the other two men.
Azora jumped up on her throne with a bright smile on her face.
"Thank you, thank you all. From this day and all to come, you are my friends. Now form the covenant. Speak your name before The Watcher."
The man in gray stepped forward in front of the throne. He raised his ancient-looking walking stick into the air and slammed the bottom into the ground. The floor cracked like spiderwebs and a crimson light radiated from his body. A wind swept through the room.
"Matthaus Fasciglione." The man in armor said.
"Vice Hillmann." The man in glasses revealed his name.
"Erriana. I have no family name." The girl in pajamas spoke.
"Isaac Farflayer." He said, staring at the man called The Watcher. He winced as he felt a burning on the back of his hand. A pale blue symbol appeared. He brought his hand in front of his face to examine it closer, but he could not make out what it was supposed to be.
The red glow faded and the wind died down. The torches that lit up the room flickered and went out for a few seconds, plunging them into darkness. Then they flared up again, casting a warm glow over them. The man walked back towards the side of the throne and nodded at Azora.
"The covenant is made. From this day forward, you are all my Guardians." She smiled and got up from her throne. She walked past them down the path between the pews. She looked back at the group and waved. "Follow me please."