Klara watched the mystic do her work.

  The strange woman was seated with her legs crossed on a mat in the center of the lavish stone-walled quarters. She swirled with soulflame, almost impossible to perceive but too plentiful to truly ignore. The disturbed the air around her, like small shots of steam flying through the air close to her. It moved just around her, firing out and in through waves. But this late into the process, it was all waves going out.

  Then with a palpable change in the pressure in the room, she was done. The Eyeless Oracle slumped forward in her seat. It was Klara’s turn to work now.

  “Are you okay, ma’am?” Klara asked as she went up and grabbed the woman by the arm. The oracle wore a wrap around her head, a red silk that blocked her eyes. It was said she couldn’t see even if they were removed, and some of the girls said she had no eyes at all.

  Klara didn’t know the answer either way, but she wouldn’t dare snoop.

  The Oracle nodded, and spoke in a soft accented voice. “Yes, but we should go. I’m already late to the council meeting.”

  Klara helped her stand, then smoothed out the woman’s top before putting her white shawl over her shoulders. Then Klara walked her out of the room. They walked the halls of the castle until they reached a set of double wooden doors with a guard in glimmering silver-like armor standing outside. The man was a Hillman, like Klara. Most people in the building were, with the Oracle and the King being some of the few exceptions.

  The guard saw them coming, and gave Klara a smile and a nod. “They’ve already started, should I announce you?”

  The Oracle shook her head, “No time, he will be fine with it.”

  The guard turned and opened the door, and they stepped inside. The council room was designed like a smaller throne room. It had a large chair under a set of windows with black metal bars depicting attunement symbols for decorations. Before the ‘second throne’ was a wide table with other thick but noticeably smaller chairs.

  There were five chairs at the table, and four of them were filled with well dressed nobles. One was empty.

  The second throne held King Mandin, ‘the Hornless Hillman’. His features were graying, but his hair used to be a vibrant brown. He wore the crown customary of his position, with its decorative single horn that ran along the right side of his head. He had a staff leaned against the side of his chair.

  When they walked into the room, everyone was talking. They looked back to see the two women, but didn’t stop their conversation.

  “This doesn’t solve our primary concern,” said a woman in priestly robes. She had two half-inch prongs on her forehead for horns. It was Lativa the King’s Faith.

  “I doubt you’re going to see a solution anytime soon,” said a bald tanned man with shaved off horns. He was wearing all brown, with a leather vest. He had two daggers in sheaths along his chest. “You should be focusing on calming your flock, lest they fly away in panic.” That was Rayden the King’s Eyes.

  One seemed to be ignoring them. A scrawny man with pronghorns and tiny circular glasses. He was wearing a bright blue coat with yellow trim, and was scribbling in a notebook while holding a second notebook. That was Markis the King’s Sword.

  “The faithful are patient, Rayden, I think you would agree? I am not concerned about them panicking, but I share their base concerns regardless.” The last was Tohd, a portly man majestic curled horns that had decorative sheaths on them. He smiled at Rayden as he spoke, flattening a red mustache. This was the King’s Voice.

  Klara walked the Oracle past them all until she was standing beside Mandin’s throne. But there was no chair for her, so she did not sit. Klara backed away and went to the far edge of the room, enough to be out of sight and mind.

  “You almost didn’t get here in time,” Mandin said to the Oracle. “We would have finished without you.”

  The Oracle nodded, “I apologize your highness. My divinations took longer than usual today.”

  “Anything you can tell us mere mortals,” Rayden said, glaring at the Oracle as if she could see him.

  “As always, I am a humble servant of this council. I will share all that I know.”

  On their table was a map of the ‘Kingdoms and Lands’, it covered Barune’s lands, the high mountains to the East, the few Skymen peoples that had known homes in those mountains, and then the Princedoms, Akahi, and Zed, all to the North. Beyond that were islands to the North of the Princedoms, a collection of different islands that wrapped around until they got just close enough to Barune that they could be regularly contacted. These ‘trade islands’ were technically part of the Princedoms, but were culturally distinct.

  The Oracle turned her heard in the direction of the King, despite needing a hand on the side of the throne to make sure she was standing in the right spot. She nodded to him.

  “Of course,” Mandin said as he turned from her back toward Rayden, “Ask her what you need to know.”

  Tohd chuckled, sitting back in his chair. “Shouldn’t she already know what we want to ask?”

  “Yes,” The Oracle said, keeping her tone flat. “But not because that is how my abilities work. But more so because the questions are pretty obvious. The crisis remains the same, Akahi’s borders are closed to us, and war is our new reality. But I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific from there, Lord Tohd.”

  Tohd cleared his throat, and Rayden smirked at the Voice.

  “Then how do we do it,” Lativa asked, “how do we win this war? They are willing to use blasphemous creatures against us, and they have spoiled a holy place, is this really a fight we can win?”

  A glow erupted from behind the Oracle’s mask of silk, and Klara felt a power touch her. It came with instructions, and Klara stood up and walked over to the table’s map. She began rearranging pieces representing armies as the Oracle spoke again.

  “I’m not sure we must,” she said. “I understand your worry, Priestess. But it is my understanding that the power in Akahi exists independent of the temple-keepers there. Barune’s standing army may be small, but it still outnumbers Akahi without issue. We just need to predict where he, the Duke that is, intends to send his force. He strikes out with single-mindedness, making it easy to defend. Eventually, we will stamp this force out and Akahi can be given back to its protectors.”

  “Eventually?!” Rayden snapped, “My eyes in the North say people are already fleeing the next cities. Our shoddy defenses lead to this, but we have to do something to prevent all out collapse. We can’t wait for eventually. Already we leave the other border cities as fresh meat for Zed and the Princes.”

  He pointed on the map even as Klara was finishing her arrangement. There was a red and gold piece representing the reach of the Duchy. The Oracle’s placement put them just South of Scaleback, moving toward another city called Prickletop. The countryside between was considered forfeit. Rayden pointed to the lands to the Northeast, small vassal Earldoms at the edge of the territory whose main purpose was to be a barrier between the Kingdom and neighbors.

  “The Princedoms won’t move,” The Oracle said, “wouldn’t you agree, Tohd?”

  Tohd sat up a little, considered being contrarian, and then sniffled. “I’ve received offers of aid, after it was revealed what forces Akahi is using. It seems the Princedoms dislike this as much a we do. But nothing is concrete yet!”

  “Then we should take that chance!” Rayden said, “we should crush Akahi’s military and set them right again!”

  The Oracle stood up straight, but spoke to Markis. “Well, what does the Sword think of that?”

  Markis stopped scribbling and looked up. He pushed his glasses up, and then mumbled something under his breath while looking at the map. He seemed somewhere distant.

  “Louder, Markis,” King Mandin said. “I know this new position doesn’t agree with you, but you will be my Sword until I have need of a Purse again, do you understand?”

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  Markis cringed at the reprimand, and then nodded. “Yes, of course your highness. I was just saying that if we tried to take Akahi, with our supply lines as they currently are, we run the risk of exhausting ourselves before we can finish.”

  The others watched Markis for a moment, Tohd tapping his hand on the table while Rayden scowled. Lativa just closed her eyes.

  “So we’ve lost then?” Lativa asked, “just as we began?”

  Markis shook his head, “It is hard to say. The numbers are difficult. But our supply wagons still need time to get organized in a way that can support the army as it rallies. If we rush…”

  “You’ll lose to attrition, not Akahi,” The Oracle said. Her eyes glowed again, and Klara snapped upright before she started moving pieces again. “As you know, I can only make predictions for the lords and ladies who allow me to help them. Even some on this council have not taken that small step. But I wish for Barune to succeed as much as anyone here save maybe the King. I believe that Akahi’s actions don’t show an urge to conquer us, the Duke’s actions are reckless. My prediction is that if we take our time, we can crush this main force from Akahi.”

  Mandin looked at the map. Her ‘prediction’ required several cities to fall, as they built up their forces to repel Akahi.

  “You don’t think an army charging toward our capital looks to conquer us?” Rayden asked.

  “What do your spies say?” The Oracle asked Rayden. “Do you hear about talks of supplies, of reinforcements? Or are you completely blind in the places Akahi has conquered.”

  Rayden squeezed the edge of the table, but kept his mouth shut.

  The Oracle sighed and leaned forward. “I apologize, My King. I thought I had more energy remaining than this, I believe the Beat is over for me.”

  Mandin nodded. “You have given us window to look through, we will make decisions from here. Thank you Oracle.”

  Klara came up and collected the woman, and they left the way that they came.

  “Today took a lot out of me,” the Oracle said as they walked the halls.

  They occasionally passed by a random attendant or servant, but it wasn’t long until they could consider themselves ‘alone’. The Oracle grew quiet then, and Klara could see her eyes occasionally lighting up behind her veil. She was still in communication, even as she claimed to be too tired.

  As they reached her quarters, Klara brought the Oracle to her mat in the center of the room before preparing to leave.

  “Actually,” the Oracle said, “if you can help me with something else, that would be great.”

  Klara stopped. She was a new attendant for the Oracle, this was her second week. The previous attendant didn’t meet any grim end, they were sent on important duties in the far North. Occasionally, the Oracle seemed to shift her stance toward Klara. At all other times Klara was just another woman in the their order, the Oracle was above Klara and treated her as such. Then there were times like now, especially when the Oracle was tired.

  “Of course, Oracle.” Klara said, bowing hard to make sure she could be heard doing it.

  The Oracle put a hand up to stop her, then pointed to a side table with supplies. “I have paper and an inkwell there. I need to pen a message to an acquaintance, then get it to the post.”

  Klara nodded, “Of course, yes.” Then she shuffled over and knelt at the small table. She prepared the ink, and then cleared her throat to make it clear she was ready.

  The Oracle took off her cloak and set it aside, and let out a sigh of relief.

  “Don’t think about the contents, you only risk exposing yourself to confusing stuff. If I speak and you hear nothing, let me know.” The Oracle said.

  “Yes ma’am,” Klara said. She didn’t know what that last warning meant, and she couldn’t help but be a little excited by it. The Oracle dealt in matters far above any of them. Her rise to the side of King Mandin was little known, but Klara kept a close eye on it all. This was a woman who started with nothing, but now the King took her words as doctrine. She became key to the Farspeakers, and when she ran into resistance in her rise through their ranks she became her own branch of the organization. Now apprentices like Klara could be assigned to her branch. The experience was terrifying, but exciting. Klara never dreamed of being so close to such powerful people before working for the Oracle.

  “Greetings Rival,

  “I know it’s been a bit since I’ve sent you any mail. Hopefully this one finds you during the event you’ve caused. I know that you have a rather low view of the people here, and you think you can do whatever you want, but I should remind you that I haven’t gone anywhere. In fact, I’ve only become stronger while you were hiding up there. Barune is stronger than ever, I’ve reinforced them against whatever attacks you think you can pull off. Think of it like…”

  There was a sharp pain that went through Klara’s thoughts. It was like having an instant headache, or hearing one of those screeching sounds that makes you cover your ears instinctively except it is all in your imagination. She winced, and held a hand up.

  “I didn’t get that one, ma’am.” Klara said.

  The oracle chuckled. She was lounging now, leaned back until she was resting on her elbows. “Of course not, sorry. What is a better way of saying it, think of it like a tree of upgrades.”

  Klara puzzled at the phrase. She may have meant Attunements? But she wasn’t going to embellish, she wrote exactly as she was told.

  “So if this is your plan, if you think that you can walk around without my girls predicting your every move, you’re wrong. Pack up, take your crap, and head back to your side of the line.”

  Again Klara had to stop her, but not because of a word not coming through. She wanted to check for clarity. “Did you mean to say ‘crap’ here? Like small amounts of dung?”

  “It will make sense to them,” The Oracle said. The woman pulled off her red silk blindfold, and Klara hesitated to turn and look. The Oracle did this now and again, but she never told Klara to look away. But Klara did notice that she never did it when anyone else is around.

  Klara knew what many others didn’t. The Eyeless Oracle did actually have eyes. It wasn’t too much of a surprise considering the glow that came from behind her eyelids like any other Farspeaker when using the Facets of Distance. Her left eye had the faded look of someone that was blind, milky and grey. But her right eye looked healthy, more than that. The eye had an iris of vibrant red with a strange symbol inside like a curved diamond inside another more rigid diamond.

  Despite not looking blind in the right eye, Klara was sure the Oracle couldn’t see through it. She didn’t react to visual signals, though she often did know where stuff was. For instance, she always knew where a Farspeaker was, and would turn to them as if her vision was perfect. She knew where Klara was at all times.

  Klara was not in a bond with the Oracle, at least she wore no ring, which many wouldn’t believe. When the Oracle used her facets on Klara it was temporary, short bursts of connection. It was like that with any of the women in the order, no matter where they were. If there was a distance the Oracle could not reach, Klara had not seen it yet. It was miraculous, and there were whispers of crowning her as a new Torchbearer, as soon as they could duplicate her talents.

  “Is that all then?” Klara asked.

  The Oracle shook her head no. Then seemed to think. She hummed for a moment before her eyes went wide.

  “Write this. Actually, it makes sense to me just now. A move on Akahi, a piece you know we both need in play, done impulsively. I wondered why you even routed the citizens fleeing. You were looking for someone, weren’t you? Still are, based on your movements. Is that what happened in Scaleback? Do we have a new friend that we have to consider, little Rival?”

  The Oracle stood, and put a hand to her chin. It seemed the new part of this letter had her deep in thought. Klara waited for her to continue, pen at the ready even as the Oracle paced around her small space.

  “If you continue on your path, I’ll have to crush you. You know I can, and I will. If you think you need to find and get rid of this new friend, you know I won’t get in your way. I still think you’re wrong about the legend, you’re being naive and a little stubborn. It doesn’t require you to be the only one left, it just requires you to be the best among us. Killing them won’t do you any good, though I guess it will achieve your goal. But… it won’t do you any good, since I still remain, and I can let you know right now that I’ll always outclass you. It may be hard to believe, you probably consider yourself an elite strategist, but there are some realms better left to those with patience and vision.”

  She chuckled to herself as Klara finished writing, then added one last little bit. “Love, the Crimson Gem. Oh, and don’t think I haven’t noticed you picking off my agents. I’ll make you pay for every one.”

  The Oracle took a satisfied breath. “Okay, pack that up and have it sent to Greywind in the Princedoms.”

  Klara nodded as she started to roll up the paper. “Understood ma’am.”

  “Oh and have them verify it under that name,” The Oracle said, “the Crimson Gem. They’ll understand. If you use your own name, it could be dangerous for you.”

  Another nod, and Klara bound the letter. “If I may ask, Oracle, the contents of this letter seem rather dire for such a flippant tone. Are you sure it will be received well?”

  “Oh…” Another word that made Klara’s head ache was inserted in the middle, “… I hope not. The little bug has been causing us nothing but trouble. They aren’t the only problem that we have, but they are definitely at the center of it. Just a shame I only now realized what they are after. Tomorrow I’ll have to check in on the territories near Prickletop.”

  The answer revealed more of the Oracle’s nature than maybe even the woman realized. The Oracle wasn’t always kind, quiet, but powerful. Sometimes she dealt with matters in a playful and even vindictive way. Klara smiled at that revelation, it was more secrets about the Oracle that she was privy to when few others were.

  Klara walked out into the hall, only barely hearing the Oracle murmur to herself about how she might have to expand her search area. The Goldfeather post had an agent just outside the keep, so Klara would have to get there before they closed up shop for the evening. The Skymen dominated organization refused to keep their bases inside of the castle, even if it meant leaving them in vulnerable positions outside of fortifications. All in the name of neutrality.

  The halls were mostly empty, so Klara moved fast. As she went around a corner, she heard hurried footsteps. She tried to slow down, but still rammed herself into a man in brown leathers and a cape that was moving just as fast as her.

  They both scrambled to look presentable, and Klara got a good look at the man. He looked like the youngest a 70 year old Fieldman could look. His features were weathered like leather, and he had a reading monocle hanging from his breast. His hair was graying black, as if each strand was fighting to maintain their color and losing the battle day by day.

  “Sorry,” the man said with a tired smile, “going faster than I can see. Is this the way to the king? Do you know if his oracle is with him?”

  Klara heard both questions, but didn’t want to get caught up answering in detail, so she merely nodded yes as the man pointed.

  “Thank you young lady,” the man said with a nod. Then he kept walking down the hall, his step getting brisk again as he vanished around a corner.