Lost in a chapter

Chapter 2 - One

“My friend here seeks the location of the Fayb. We are on a quest to break a deal with him,” Marthos declared, her voice steady, though her wings betrayed her with a faint flutter. She clasped her hands tensely behind her back, her copper feathers trembling despite her resolve. Focus, Marthos. You are better than this. Don’t let him in, she thought. Her jaw tightened as the Oracle’s gaze lingered on her far longer than it had on Tora. What is with his stare. Marthos thought as she slowly let out a breath, she had been holding in.

The Oracle’s brows raised, a hint of intrigue flickering across his features “Breaking a deal with the Fayb… Not an easy quest, especially if you don’t offer what he wants. He’s a tricky one to kill, and most have lost count on how many lives he has left, so a deal for a deal, you may need to offer.”

“I know that!” Marthos snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through the dense air. The Oracle’s lips curled into the faintest smile, clearly enjoying the challenge she presented. For the first time in centuries, a soft laugh escaped him, low and rich, reverberating through the mist.

Marthos shot him a glare, irritation sparking in her expression. “You find our request funny?” she demanded.

“No,” he replied, his laugh fading into a warm chuckle. “I find you, funny.”

Her pulse quickened at his unexpected response. She cleared her throat, suddenly aware of how intensely the moment slowed, allowing her a reluctant opportunity to admire him. Pull it together, she scolded herself. A sharp tug at her robe from Tora brought her back to the present, and she straightened, her expression steady once more. She glanced at Tora, conveying reassurance with a slight nod

Tora shook her head slightly, disapproving of Marthos’s apparent struggle to remain steady. She’s completely off balance, Tora thought, frustration evident in her furrowed brow. “We don’t have time for distractions, Marthos,” she whispered, her tone low but firm.

Before Marthos could respond, the Oracle’s voice cut in, silken and teasing. “Distracted, are you?” he smirked, his tone impossibly calm and confident.

Marthos shifted uncomfortably, refusing to let him see how deeply his words unnerved her. “Yes,” she admitted, though her tone was clipped. “So, either help us, or stop wasting our time.”

The Oracle tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening as though her defiance only amused him further. His eyes closed for a moment before he spoke. “I will give your companion the answers she seeks,” he said, his tone carrying the weight of unspoken truths. “However, you will remain here with me. One week. Then, you may leave.”

“What?” Tora interjected, her voice steady. “She can’t stay,” she said firmly, the words cutting through the growing tension. Tora stood her ground, resisting the oppressive weight of the Oracle’s presence. “We don’t have time for that.”

Marthos glanced at Tora, she respected her sudden assertiveness but doubted she truly understood the Oracle’s offer, and it’s hidden warning within it. He knows something. Something we can’t afford to ignore.

“If you let her go alone,” the Oracle said softly, his voice wrapping around the space between them, drawing it taut, “she will gain what you both seek. Wait any longer…” He trailed off, letting the unspoken possibilities weigh heavy in the humid air.

Marthos froze, her copper eyes sharpening as her wings quivered once more, betraying her restrained thoughts. He’s not lying. I can feel it. Her gaze hardened as she stared him down. “Tell me the Fayb’s location,” she demanded again, her voice laced with tension she refused to let spill over.

The Oracle chuckled softly; a sound that felt almost indulgent. “Emberfell,” he said at last, his grey eyes flicking between them, calm and knowing. “And your window of change is close by.”

Tora inhaled sharply; her breaths measured as she processed his words. She cast a glance at Marthos, catching the faint flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. Tora’s chest tightened as a thought crossed her mind. If I go alone, I gain what we both seek, but what about Marthos… if she stays here, what will he do to her?

Marthos finally spoke, “You need to do this part alone, the Oracle’s words are clear. If I join you, the vision changes. If you delay, the future shifts again. You’ve got this, Tora.” She placed a hand gently on Tora’s shoulder, her touch grounding. “You share some of Sylvain’s powers. I’ll place Emberfell in your mind and help you shadow there.”

Tora tilted her head slightly, her expression sceptical yet resolute. “You’re sure about this?” she asked quietly, searching Marthos’s face for any sign of doubt.

“Completely,” Marthos replied. You’ll be fine, she reassured herself as much as she reassured Tora. I must believe that.

Tora took a steadying breath, closing her eyes as Marthos pressed her hands gently to her head. The warmth of Marthos’s powers began to flow, steady and grounding, as the fiery image of Emberfell took shape in Tora’s mind: rivers of molten lava, jagged rocks glowing red and orange, the scent of ash thick in the air. It was vivid, sharp, and terrifying. She exhaled slowly, letting the image settle.

“I’ve got it,” Tora murmured, her voice even.

“Then go but remember to take your time to think when you are breaking the deal for another, his words are simple but always with a twist” Marthos said, stepping back.

Without another word, Tora opened her eyes and let the shadows take her.

The Oracle smiled faintly, watching the mist swirl as Tora disappeared. His gaze shifted back to Marthos, his interest clear. “And now it’s just us.”

Marthos crossed her arms, her copper eyes locking onto his. “Don’t get comfortable.”

The Oracle chuckled, stepping closer. “I already am.”

Marthos pushed her way past him, “Not happening” she said walking away. Please don’t follow. She thought while hurrying away from him. I don’t know how much longer I can refrain from these urges.

“You better hope your visions of Tora were correct, I’d have to kill you if she’s hurt” Marthos said loud enough for him to hear, her steps quickening as she moved deeper into the mist. She needed to focus on Tora, on the Fayb, on anything but him. But his voice, rich and unrelenting, followed her like a shadow.

“Do you do this a lot? Run away?” She stopped abruptly, her fist tightening by her sides as she turned to face him. He stood there, impossibly composed, his grey eyes gleaming faintly. “I’m not running, I am walking, and if you hadn’t bargained me for a vision, I would be in Emberfell right now! Also, you are an Oracle, you can see my every move, so why don’t you skip the crap and get to the part you want to”

The Oracle walked closer to her, hesitating his next words. “I couldn’t let you go.” He admitted.

Marthos took a moment to process what he had said, suddenly curious with the Oracles reason. “Wait why! What did you see?” she asked, her pulse quickening as she wondered why.

“Your friend will be fine, in every vision, she was fine” he admitted.

“And…” Marthos said, impatiently waiting for him to continue.

“Marthos,” he said softly, her name rolling off his tongue like silk. The sound of it stirred something deep within her, something she didn’t want to acknowledge. “In some visions… you don’t leave Emberfell.”

Her breath caught. “What do you mean?” she demanded, her voice sharp and unsteady. “Why?”

The Oracle exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable, “The Fayb as you know can be dangerous. It bargains unfairly, did you really think you could just appear in Emberfell, chat to the Fayb and leave unscathed. The only time it worked with you unharmed was when you weren’t there.”

Marthos stared at him, “Is this why you want me here? Why a week?”

The Oracle hesitated, and for a moment, the mist seemed to still around them, as though the weight of her question had silenced even the air. He ran a hand through his hair, the movement deliberate yet strangely vulnerable, as though he was trying to steady himself. When his grey eyes met hers again, they were softer, the faintest flicker of something unspoken behind their usual composure.

“Because…” He paused, his voice dipping lower, quieter. “I couldn’t watch you fall.”

Marthos stiffened, caught off guard by the rawness in his tone. Her chest tightened, though she forced her features to seem unbothered. “You’ve watched plenty fall,” she shot back, though her voice lacked its usual bite. “Why should I be any different?”

The Oracle exhaled slowly, his gaze dropping briefly before returning to hers. “Because you are different,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He paused, his jaw tightening. “In other visions, you became the sacrifice to breaking the deal. For some reason, I just couldn’t let that happen to you.” He admitted, his shoulders dropped just enough for Marthos to notice, a rare break in his composed exterior.