Chapter Nine

The Oracle sat in a ring of the seven high priestesses,in the sanctum sanctorum of the Great Temple of the Great Mother. Her old frame was supported by pillows as the high priestesses chanted the nine hundred and ninety nine sacred names of the Great Mother,their bodies swaying to the rythym of the chants.

Their invocations built up as they spun a web of power and magick. They were no longer humans but rather vessels through which the power of the Great Mother flowed. The smoke from incense sticks filled the room and the chants grew higher.

The Oracle felt a ripple and her grey eyes opened. She was no longer in the sanctum sanctorum,but rather in the Vision-Land .

There were two ways a seer could get a vision. One,wait for one or two,venture into the Vision-Land. Only advanced seers could enter and last for a few moments in the Vision-Land. It was very taxing and drained a lot of energy. Already, she could feel her energy depleting but she knew the energy of the seven priestesses could sustain her for a while.

The Oracle looked at herself. She was dressed in a white robe which fell to her ankles. Her frailness was gone. Here,she had become young again. She looked around and realized she was standing in a very mountainous area devoid of any vegetation. There was no sun and she couldn't tell where the light was coming from.

The Oracle heard a giggle from behind her. She turned and saw a small adorable boy. His skin was very dark,his white curly hair contrasting sharply with it. His milky white teeth combined with his small features made him look cute.

" Who are you? Are you a spirit guide?" She asked him.

" No, silly. I'm just here to help you." The boy giggled like the Oracle had just said something funny. He held her hand and begun to lead her, skipping merrily.

"Where are we going?" She asked, but he ignored her question and continued skipping rambunctiously.

Before long they got to the foot of a mountain and begun their ascent. After many cuts and bruises, they stood at the entrance of a cave. Somehow the light had reduced in brightness.

"We are here." The boy said with a smile, sitting down on a rock.

"What should I do?"

"You like asking a lot of foolish questions, like a little child." He pouted." You are to See."

The Oracle peered into the dark shadows of the cave." But I can't see a single thing."

He giggled." I didn't say see, I said See."

The Oracle felt embarrassed. She opened her mind and spread her awareness into the cave,an ability possessed by only seers and telekinetic Sungtai. At first she could See nothing,but then her awareness hit something and she recoiled. It was a very pungent stench. She Saw a little girl kneeling by a rotten body and crying softly. It was the body of a man,in its early stages of decomposition with maggots starting to infest it.

The girl's once expensive clothes were now filthy and her hair matted with twigs ,dirt and blood. She bent down,kissed the rotten flesh and still sobbing, retreated into a tunnel deep in the mouth of the cave.

The Oracle brought her awareness back. She felt a pang of sadness." Why are you showing me this? Who are you?" Her eyes pleaded with the boy for an answer.

"Questions, questions, questions." He stomped his little feet in fustration and folded his arms. He tilted his head in thought and answered." Okay I'll tell you who I am. I go by many different names but you'll know me as....Osun."

The Oracle imediately fell prostrate before him. Osun, God of the Sky,Bringer of Rains, Bearer of Storms,Sun Rider and Firstborn of the Great Mother. She was shocked that the Sky God himself had come to serve as her spirit guide and not one of the many spirit guides of the Great Mother.

Osun snickered." When you are done licking the ground,can you get up."

She stood up slowly." I'm sorry My Lord, it's just......."

"Now is not the time for apologies,but the time to skip." His little hands grabbed hers and he skipped playfully, leading the way. They walked for only he knows how long, before finally getting to a lake. It was large and the surface reflected light making it look silvery.

"Can you swim?" Osun asked her, still holding her hand.

" Yes." She was confused, surely he didn't expect them to swim in the lake. It appeared too deep. But before she could protest,his strong grip yanked her and they both plunged into the water,the shock of the coldness slapping the breath out of her.

Imediately,she realized that they were sinking fast. The Oracle tried to swim but no matter what she did it was of no use. When she thought she could take it no more,the water disappeared. They were no longer on the mountainous terrain. They were in what appeared to be the courtyard of a Noble house. The same little girl she'd Seen in the cave was now sitting on a bench infront of them. Her clothes were no longer dirty but rather clean and her hair luxuriant.

She had a small puppy on her laps and was eating sweets while talking to it animately." Titi, that's why I always tell you to eat a lot of sweets. They make you strong and pretty." She pushed a piece of sweet into the puppy's mouth but it spat it out and licked its mouth.

" Gee,sweets!" Osun jumped excitedly. He took a sweet from the basket and popped it into his mouth, sucking gleefully. The girl didn't notice their presence. She was still eating her sweets and talking to her puppy.

Suddenly,there was loud shouting from outside. A beautiful woman burst through one of the doors of the courtyard.

" Let's go!" She scooped up the girl, running out and leaving the puppy and the sweets behind.

The scene shifted and the Oracle's heart froze in terror. They were standing in the Capital City and there was chaos and destruction everywhere. They sky was red, with dead bodies and blood everywhere. A reddish mist rose in the City, making everything look eerie. She could hear the terrified screams of dying people and the cries of those in agony.

The Oracle turned to Osun and realized that he was no longer a little boy but rather a fully grown man. He was dressed in a shiny golden armour, holding a long spear. His aura shone like the sun and his face was dead serious.

" Why am I here? Why are you showing me this?"

He answered grimly." He's waiting, he's coming."

" Who is coming? What's happening? Please, I need answers."

The Sky God shook his head slowly." There is still so much to know,but so little time to tell." He caressed her cheek." Go, daughter and warn them. Sins require atonement."

She felt a chill and heard a low laughter. It was ethereal and menacing, filled with chaos and death. The laughter was sucking her energy quickly. She could feel it depleting.

" Awaken!"

The Oracle woke up from her trance, convulsing badly. Two of the High Priestesses rushed to support her, offering her water. She knocked it away. Her grey eyes glowing,the Oracle spoke the words of the prophecy,her voice echoing.

" Two children, powerful and strong,

Will stand at Death to right a wrong.

A kingdom to fall,an empire to stand

Death and Chaos will be at hand."

She intoned the prophecy over and over again, her spasms more intense. After a while,she quieted down, exhausted and........ terrified.