Kryva followed Houvdon back to the party despite his apparent lack of care for her choice. While she did follow the handsome Prince to the balcony, she hadn't exactly been paying attention to her surroundings. Should she lose sight of Houvdon, she would lose her way back to the dining hall.
After what seemed like genuine hours, she was able to pick up the muffled noise of the party once again. She quickened her steps, wanting to rejoin the ceremony.
She wondered if it could even be considered a ceremony. They were not celebrating anything, they were merely participating in an event that would grant them knowledge of the situation the Supreme Oracle so wanted the nobles to learn of.
It was something to be hidden from the peasants that lived within the territories of the nobles, hence this private gathering rather than a public message.
She almost walked into another person when she was consumed in her thoughts. First it was the noble in the dark blue, Zuxara, and now the noble in the white.
Her stomach lurched at the thought of Zuxara, who Houvdon had called "vile". For the son of the Grand Noble to call an ordinary noble such a word must have been due to longtime ire and irritation Zuxara had caused Houvdon.
She blinked as she realized the noble she had almost ran into was the latter in her mind.
"Why did you stop here?"
Her soft voice had apparently broken Houvdon out of his thoughts as he shook his head, turning around. "The Supreme Oracle isn't here yet. Don't you think it's strange how he organized the entire gathering only to not appear at the appropriate time? What if something had happened to him...?"
She blinked in confusion at the scandalous idea the handsome male before her had even thought of suggesting. To harm the Supreme Oracle, the giver of all intellect, was beyond atrocious. It was an unspoken sin and may even cause the intervention of the higher cosmic beings above the hierarchy of Phantasma.
The Supreme Oracle was the incarnate of the thoughts and motives of the greater beings that had a hand in the inner workings of Phantasma and the rest of the universe.
To lay a hand on the figure was laying a hand on the greatest beings to ever grace the universe.
"You are simply overthinking." Kryva touched his wrist, causing him to look down at their connected area. "Come, give me a dance and the Supreme Oracle would come before our dance is over."
He pursed his lips, leading Kryva to think back to when he had kissed her hand.
It was merely formality! Why would she keep on thinking of it?
She felt the heat rise up to her cheeks as she looked up at the tall male. She hadn't realized that he had gently pried her fingers from his wrist, and wrapped his arm around her waist, his hand laying on the curve of her waist.
They were in the middle of the entire dance floor, attracting many looks. She raised her arms so her hands would connect at the back of his neck, and he placed both of his hands on her hips, respectfully not as low as Zuxara had.
She cast a look around her, quick enough so it was under the guise of seeing if she and her partner were in the way of any other couple.
The male in front of her noticed her action, and knew the meaning of it. She was not looking to see if she was going into anyone's space. She was looking for any noble that was going to interrupt their time together and ask for a dance with either one of them.
"Suspicious of everyone else?" The Prince of Etherstorm asked her softly, barely enough for her to hear over the music.
She shrugged, her red eyes locking onto his amber. "I don't want a repeat of Zuxara."
Her cheeks flushed deeply once again, as he examined her face. He looked down, not to admire her figure despite it being breathtaking, but to analyze her as if she were an equal to him.
"I suppose you have heard of me? Of my reputation?" He started a conversation only two magic-users would have. His tone was confrontational, guarded even despite being in such an intimate spacial area.
"I have heard you are the strong magic-user of your generation." Kryva rose one of her delicate eyebrows. "Other than that I don't know much. I have only studied my family's magic, I do not study any other family or magic in general."
His eyes turned lidded as he leaned further against her despite the two of them already close. His chest pressed against hers, and she felt her face become heated once again.
Houvdon's mind race as he realized she was too easy to fluster, and should she go out more often, nobles would take advantage of such a thing and her naivety. Kirva wasn't wrong when she said this was her first time at a gathering. This was not how a noble lady should act, the next Lady in fact.
"What magic does your family wield?"
"W-we traditionally wield the magic of Flame." She answered quickly. She cursed inwardly as she showed weakness to the powerful and influential noble.
"Traditionally?" He cocked a single eyebrow. He leaned downwards so his face was close to hers despite their already close proximity. She turned her eyes and looked away from the beautiful face that was close to her, almost as close as Zuxara's once was.
"If it is traditionally the art of Flame, then what is yours?"
She opened her mouth to answer, not knowing how else to answer besides the truth.
"The Supreme Oracle has arrived!"
-----
The loud interruption had separated the heir and the heiress from their rather intimate moment.
They jumped apart and looked at the ramp the two of them had walked down to reach the floor of the "ceremony".
He was dressed in white, yet the white seemed to be even more pure than the white the male Kryvahad just danced with had donned for this event.
His attire had left his arms bare, and showed off the right side of his rather muscular chest. His pants were loose, yet came together at a cuff just above the ankle. The most striking thing about him was not the golden sandals he wore that shined with even more royalty than the Grand Nobles assembled in the building, but rather the solid gold eyes he possessed.
The nobles all stepped away from the dance floor and headed back to the tables they ate at, with the Oracle continuing to walk forth until he reached the middle of the room.
Kirva sat down next to her, slightly breathless and Kryva spotted the lip stain on the structure of his jaw. She chose to not mention this to him and instead, turned her attention to the figure that rose his hands for their attention.
"I apologize for my tardiness." He gave a short bow to further emphasize his apologies. "The cosmic beings above had to give me more information to mull over, causing me to waste more time than I would like."
"I have received a revelation that I have not obtained for an extended period of time. This will not be a prophecy, but rather a quest."
A collective gasp ran throughout the room. Kryva guessed it was due to the rarity for such a thing known as a "quest" to be assigned.
She noticed how it was only the senior nobles who had an idea what the Oracle was spouting. The younger ones looked around in confusion, including Kirva despite holding the rank of Lord.
"As you all have most likely realized, the weather of Phantasma has been thrown into disarray."
Kryva blinked as she nudged her brother, who had grown still. She whispered to him. "I told you the weather felt different, it was a lot hotter than usual."
"Be quiet, I want to hear the rest."
There were a few more seconds of silence from the Oracle as the nobles finished their chattering in response to the statement he had just declared. To be told something as unending as the "weather" itself was wrong was frightening.
To think such a being existed that could alter such an infinite force.
"The Sun has grown hot, the rain has turned warm. The winters are to be humid, and the summers are to be declared cold. Before, each territory had seemed to have its own climate. But now, as I'm sure you have all realized, all territories are seemingly one."
"If this doesn't stop soon, the world itself will collapse on itself. The core would turn cold, and the entire layer of interlacing magic that keeps this world together will unravel. The cosmic beings above will be unable to help as Phantasma rots and implodes."
A stunned silence rang throughout the dining hall.
"The collapse of...our entire world?" A stunned noble wearing brown robes gasped out.
The Oracle gave no affirmation to the noble. In fact, it seemed as if the Oracle didn't even hear what he had stated even if the room was already dead silent and the spoken words were the source of sound.
"Because of this, the Council of King deems it necessary to send in a select group of elite magicians to retrieve a Sacred Artifact that can restore the unrest in Phantasma."
"Should they fail...it may very well be the end of our world."
The Oracle had no visible change when he spoke those words, almost as if their impending destruction had no effect on him.
"This Sacred Artifact is called Aurora Diemque, a sword that has the ability to manifest miracles into the real world, said to be unfaltering under any presence. If this impending doom is called an inevitable calamity, then nothing short of a miracle can advert it if the cosmos so deems it fit."
The Oracle gave a pause, almost as if letting the nobles stomach the fact that such a legendary item existed, almost as if it were straight from a fairy tale.
Kryva can understand the rest of the nobles. In fact, she felt the exact same way as the rest of them. A sword that had the capability of creating miracles? Who had ever heard of such an outrageous idea?
The Oracle then dropped the next surprise onto the already shocked nobility.
"Aurora Diemque is unfortunately, located at the World's End, at the very edge of Phantasma where the Abyss itself eats away at the bright light it shines."
Her stomach dropped. She saw many of the Lords and Ladies grab onto the seat of their chair, struggling to maintain conscious as shock and disbelief ran through them.
"H-how do the Greater Ones expect us to journey into unknown territory?!"
Once again, the Supreme Oracle took no notice of the protests and questions. "The World's End is in neutral territory, away from influence of both Delusional and Clarity lands. It is neutral and unknown, but beware, exiles from either of our or our opposer's lands roam these lands making it unsafe to travel without proper preparation."
He paused, more out of his own choice now that Kryva thought about it, rather than for the nobles to stomach all of the information currently being pushed down their throats.
"The magic-wielders that will be chosen will receive a message from the cosmos above, and they will understand the message they are given. In two month's time, all that receive the callings will gather beneath the Temple of Delusion else would face extreme punishment dealt by the Greater Ones themselves."
Roars of outrage echoed as many nobles stood up.
The Oracle's tranquil voice and expression remained unchanged, his clairvoyance seeing none of the rightful opposition he was currently facing.
Kryva looked to her left, Kirva facing her, pale. His eyes were wide with horror as the weight of the Oracle's words hit him.
Either one of them could be forced onto this quest. Any opposition will be met with divine punishment. Any agreement may very well be a death sentence. The World's End was too deep into unknown land to call for help from any region in the Delusional Empire.
-----
"My Prince."
"Silence Asfr."
Houvdon Archelio walked past the servant without another word, heading straight to his room. His amber eyes narrowed in anger as he opened his doors. He shut and locked the twin doors behind him and he glared at the painting on the wall.
It was normal for nobles to have old paintings of the cosmic entities far beyond their comprehension.
The one in his possession was that of a Sun.
He continued to glare at the inanimate object, his amber eyes darkening even further as rage coursed through his body.
He grabbed the vase on his nightstand and hurled it at the expensive painting. A loud shatter echoed in the room as it struck the wall, before falling to the ground.
He heard the servants rushing up to his room in an attempt to find out what had just happened, but he waved his hand. He heard a hum from the workings within his body channeling his desires. The two lanterns that were seated on stands outside his door flickered three times, signaling for the servants to leave him.
He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He heard the servants walk away and back to their positions. He waited, counting up to five seconds, before speaking to the Sun etched into the canvas.
"Why send us to our death?" He talked as if the painting that he had since young would answer the questions lurking in his mind, pushing around attempting to be at the top of his thoughts. "Why would you ever issue a quest for an artifact that may have already been stolen? Why have us solve the problem when you are the sole cause for it? Your greater powers that can manipulate the world itself can solve our problem. Why do we have to solve it with mundane methods?"
The Prince of Etherstorm sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. He slumped onto his bed, clutching his face with both hands.
"You make no sense, O Greater Beings." His amber eyes lingered on the painting of the Sun. "I hope you take into consideration of the subjects you rule over."
He heard a hum in his ear as he felt his connection to the light, his magic fueling his body. His room's lights flickered as he flexed his fingers, obeying their master's control.
'Otherwise, not even your cosmic properties may save you from the wrath of your own.'
Houvdon's shadow writhed as it came to life.
-----
Kirva and Kryva sat facing a beautiful lady who wore the same color of red as the two facing her. Her eyes were a dark red, even darker than that of Kirva and Kryva. Her dress pooled down to the floor, as the cut of the neck dropped low into her chest.
Kryva shook her head inwardly at the skin that her mother showed. It was far too low, even for at home. She couldn't imagine how uncomfortable it must be to have a dress that was just about to fall off of her chest.
"So you are saying, that anyone will be chosen to go onto this quest?" Lady Pellemeur asked, folding her hands and placing them onto her desk.
Kirva nodded. "That is what I assume. The Oracle did not say how many, what status, or even when they'll be chosen. It is just...a mystery. All we know is that we are being given two months before everyone is meeting at the Temple of Delusion."
"Two months?" Their mother frowned as she placed her hand on her chin thinking. Kryva glanced at her mother's perfect lips in jealousy. It may be her mother, but she was still jealous at how beautiful she was.
Her red eyes glinted with realization. "It said this matter is urgent, yet they still give two months to prepare despite the weather being suspected to turn more and more disastrous?"
Kirva froze, realizing his mother was correct. The Oracle had made it seem extremely urgent, yet the amount of days they were given until the final day was large.
It was abnormal for such an important situation to be put off for such a large amount of time. Yet, the Oracle essentially gave them two whole months to prepare themselves for the dreadful journey that was in the not-so-distant future.
"Yes...earlier I suspected it was because of the winter that was soon to come to allow us to easily cross the lakes and rivers, but now that I think of it, the winter wouldn't come if the Sun continued to be as it currently is. It'll just be a second summer."
The gears in Kryva's head turned too upon the clarification from Kirva. She frowned as well, her thoughts going back to what Houvdon had said.
"What if something had happened to him...?"
The Supreme Oracle was acting odd. He didn't acknowledge any nobles' questions or statements, he merely continued to rattle on about the quest they were forced to go on if they were chosen.
Even worse, he never states how they were going to be chosen. It was as if someone would automatically know they were going to be selected to embark on the road to death.
Kryva gave a heavy sigh, causing both Kirva and their mother to turn to her in anticipation for her first words contributed to the discussion.
She shook her head after a couple seconds. "I have nothing to contribute. I myself am just as confused and lost as you two are."
Lady Pellemeur frowned as she looked at Kryva, before shaking her head. She gave a small smile at her daughter, before starting the accursed words that will lead to a topic Kryva hoped to avoid.
She glared at her brother in the middle of her mother's words, who looked sheepish and left the room as quick as he can before he faced the wrath of his sister.
"So...you danced and got rather close to both the Prince of Etherstorm and the Prince of Oceania?"
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𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕰𝖓𝖉