Chapter 9
Prophecies & Dreams
Cody was speaking with Ryan, “So, what are we going to do once Amori wakes?”
“We will go to the Sacrosanct, it is the holy place.” He picked up a fruit biting into it. Looking up he saw Amori walking towards them. He waved to her. “Good to see that you’re awake.”
Amori smiled at Ryan before she turned to Cody, “How long was I out?”
“About two days, how are you feeling?” He asked, concern showing on his face. He tossed her a fruit, biting into it her eyes lit up, “What type of fruit is this?” She took another bite, “It tastes great.”
“It’s Ackley, an elfin fruit. Trust me it's better than anything you'll ever eat.” Ryan said as he took another bite of his own, once he had finished he said, “Though there is one that is better, it is fruit from the Tree of Verve...” Before he could continue Leora walked up to them, her eyes on Amori.
“What did he say to you?” Amori looked at her quizzically.
“What did you say?”
“Do not play games with me. What did the Dweller say?” One of the elves walked up to them, halting Leora's interrogation. Cody greeted him, “Hello Eldrid.” He smiled and hailed Cody, “Ardor, it has been a long time since I last saw you.”
“To long Eldrid.” He faced the others, “Eldrid is an old friend of my fathers.”
The elder elf turned his gaze to Ryan, “Rarely do we have someone from Addar come here to Eldon,” he inclined his head, “especially royalty.” His eyes settled briefly on Amori before going back to Ryan, “What brings the son of Lord Dayan here?”
“I was simply showing my friends around, though it seems that one of them has already been here.” He threw a glance in Cody's direction. “Also we were passing by since its safer path through here to Addar.”
Eldrid looked once again at Amori, “I see, seeing as you have a human traveling with your company.” The elf smiled, “Though I know you would all like to be on your way, I must tell you, the paths to and fro Eldon have been locked until the 'morn comes.”
“That's fine; I was planning on taking them to the Sacrosanct.” Ryan said finishing off the last of his food.
Eldrid stood there silent for the moment, his focus on something in the distance. Blinking he returned his attention back to them, “You should hurry then, if you wish to take them to the Sacrosanct.” He glanced to Amori but his words were directed at, natively, Cody, “Watch this one, she is special.” Then turning Eldrid walked away into the distance.
Ryan watched Cody, “What did he say?” That being one of the things about the elfin language. If you were not the one in which another was speaking to unless it was in common tongue, you would not be able to understand what was being said.
Cody shrugged, “Nothing really, we should get going.”
Shaking his head slightly Ryan turned with a grimace, 'Whatever the old elf had said was much more than nothing.' He studied the half-elf from the corner of his eyes; he was now talking with Amori. Him sharing with her what had happened while she was sleeping. Yet still Ryan knew that Cody was on his guard, but for what Ryan did not know.
Making it to the temple before sunset they walked inside. It’s was taking long simply because they were in no rush for the most part, and Amori wanted to walk slowly and take everything in, that she was seeing before her.
Leora met them at the entrance and donned a robe since she was a Sage Priestess. The others followed behind her, as they headed to the second main sanctuary.
Amori was amazed at the size and magnitude of the temple. Her brain was liable to overload with everything that she was taking in.
The pillars on either side were made of the purest gold, the walls single mother of pearls; silver was the lining the edges. Every door was created from the finest jade, the handles where single in placed rubies. No writings graced the walls in the inner court, but engraved in the diamonds that laced around the roof used as the crown molding, was the picture and stone that represented each and every realm both seen and unseen. To Amori it seemed that the place had been made out of every precious jewel and metal known to man, and some that we have yet to discover.
Moving so that she stood at the altar Leora faced Dryan, “What is it that you seek?”
“I seek answers.”
Leora nodded then faced once again forward. Amori and Cody stood in awed silence as her voice lifted high in the song of the stars of Aileen.
“Oh King Immortal, grant me now this plea. Show me what is to come for the realms. Powerful one show me the way.”
The room shifts as Leora walks into the mid-realm. It is the realm between death and life; the realm where all shall pass through before death and some before life. Leora moves to the pools edge, she looks at the two paths before her. One leads to Belial and the other the realm of Amadis. Instead she walks the path between, through the water. She stops when one of the Heavenly appears.
“Tell me daughter of Light, why have you come?”
“I come seeking answers; I come because I see the prophecy being fulfilled.”
“You also come to know if she is the First.” It was simply stated.
“Yes.”
“I can only reveal to you what I have been allowed to reveal.”
“I know.”
“Then come,” he motions her to follow, “our journey must be swift.”
Leora follows keeping quiet as the walk. If the girl Dryan had brought was indeed the First, then this was only the beginning of what was to come...
Shortly after Leora had started her song a feeling uncomfortably crept up on Amori; the feeling causing her to break out into a cold sweat. Turning Amori saw a shadowed figure in the hallway in which they had entered from. It seemed to beckon her to it. It called to her like a lamp light to a moth. Having no control of her body she began walking towards it...
“She was chosen since before the very creation of time, to be the First...”
Amori kept walking even though she willed herself to stop; to break contact with whatever it was that was waiting in the dark for her...
“To be tested beyond compare, beyond the bearing of any mortal or that of an immortal...”
She could now see its eyes even though she could not really see them...
“To be tried with no mercy...”
She tried to scream, but nothing would come out. She tried to turn to get the others attention but was unable to. Her mouth wouldn’t even open, sealed shut by fear and something greater...
“Given over to the Dweller for a specific time...”
The room seemed to close in around her, sucking out her very life. Yet even with that and her need for air, she continued on to the imposing figure...
“But blessed to withstand all that shall come her way...”
Amori tried, fighting with everything that she had in her. Somehow knowing that if she were to make it to her forced destination that she would never return that she would never see the light again...
“Given strength of will and courage beyond that of simple mortals...”
She knew that she had to stop now, before it was too late. Harder, she tried harder fighting with every fiber of her being...
“She is the First.” The Heavenly turns facing Leora, his eyes shining brighter than the sun. “She believes that she is alone, but she has more help than she knows...”
As though something had been missing, or rather knocked out of place it was clicked back into place. Amori felt stronger than she ever had before...
“She must decide...”
Amori could suddenly feel her body...
“Which path she will take...”
“Come to me and fight no more.” A boney hand reached out to her...
“The path of Death...”
Amori stopped fighting looking at the hand that had been stretched out to her...
“Or the path of Life...”
Amori looked from the hand to the chains that she could now see, then back again, a new realization dawning on her. With all the strength she had left, she began to fight anew...
“She is the First...”
A blinding light appeared, suddenly engulfing her. So intense it was that she had to blink against it. Though she could not see anything she could hear someone screeching...
“But not the last...”
When Amori opened her eyes again she was standing beside Cody. Looking up just as Leora was turning around...
“The time has come daughter of Light,” he places a hand on her shoulder as he says, “time for the prophecies of old to be fulfilled.”
“But what if she fails?”
“It is her decision to make, and her path to walk. We must let her decide of her own freewill.” He removes his hand, and turns away from her. “Now you must go.”
Leora opened her eyes, the song fading on her lips, but still the final lyrics played in the air around them. She turned to face the others. Locking eyes with Amori she noticed a gleam there that had not been there previously. What she also saw was beads of perspiration rolling down the side of Amori's face. Moving down the steps she locked gazes with Dryan.
“She is the First.”