The Vorrgistadt Saga: The Shattered Oracle - III - As Oracles are Wont to Do

III

As Oracles are Wont to Do

- Page Thirteen -

"You don't need to." Wynnol interrupted Maenthrai's words with a very flat tone. Maenthrai moved to gaze back over at the short woman whose arms were crossed high on her chest. Her chin was held up in the air as she spoke. Hildger took a step forward and pressed in right behind the young woman.

"Of course I-" Maenthrai began to start a rebuttal. She tried to keep her tone civil but the behavior of the brash and far-too-young Azhemyra was beginning to wear on her nerves. She felt her earlier rage begin to rise up. She didn't have the time to explain these matters of being an oracle to someone so young and impetuous. Oracles always had to perform rituals of purification before undertaking such deep and intense visions into time, lest the impurities of mind and body taint the divinations they must interpret.

"No — actually — you don't." Wynnol continued. She wasn't budging one bit on this; both with her behavior and her words. Maenthrai decided to stop smoothing her bed and idly preening nearing her sleeping area to stand up straight and face Wynnol directly. She proceeded to stare daggers at the headstrong artificer. Wynnol's chin seemed to tip further upward at this.

Hildger reached one of his large and brawny arms over his head. His hand maneuvered between metal plates and leather straps to scratch at his back. He lifted his ponytail up, shortly after this, to reset it over his shoulder. "I think what the young lass is getting at, Haethrex-" He was using Maenthrai's formal title as an oracle. He was obviously nervous about her reaction. "We've, uh-" He began to tug at his beard now while pursing his lips for the briefest of moments while thinking up his next words. "We've taken the liberty of solving that problem, so to speak."

"We perfected your flawed design for the artifacts." Wynnol cut in dryly. She took a step toward Maenthrai defiantly and looked directly up at her. The young woman wasn't more than chest-high to Maenthrai, yet the glimmer in her eyes showed startling resolve. "You don't have to do any of that mystical crap, anymore." Wynnol remained standing a few inches from Maenthrai but deigned to break eye contact for a moment to look over her shoulder at Hildger. She held that position for a moment and returned back to Maenthrai. A look of pride and large smile was on her face. She was showing how proud she was of her and Hildger's work. "Anyone can now use the artifacts to pierce into time or to transfer their memories into the spheres."

"How is this possible?" Maenthrai crossed her arms. The smugness on Wynnol's face was beginning to anger her, as well as the fact that the Azhemyra might have sabotaged all of her efforts just to show off their proficiency. "I only asked that you create enchanted artifacts out of the materials from the old Ullthosian Temple." Maenthrai could feel tendrils of aethyric energy coalescing around her. The energy wasn't more than a slight static in the air, but with every passing moment, she wanted to harness it to slap the look off of Wynnol's face.

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