Page 55 of The Oracle's Journey

“Oh, the direct translation should be entertaining,” she said, archly.

“He said, it’s bad enough I had to listen to you fuck your woman all night. Stop fooling with her in front of me, or by the goddess, I will shit in your boots.” I paused. “And then I said, Jealousy is unbecoming.”

Emma

Ozanna, Lobikno, Lhoris, and I joined Nicolas for a quick breakfast in the kitchen—eggs and ham and fresh bread with butter.

“I didn’t want to bother with a formal setting,” Nicolas explained. “This will get us moving faster.”

To me, the chateau wasn’t anything surprising for a castle, but it was the first time the elven brothers had set foot in one. They moved from room to room, holding themselves a little stiffly, as if they worried they’d get in trouble should they accidentally touch something. Nimble as they were, they’d never carelessly break anything in passing. I wondered if the environment was just so alien to them that they didn’t know what to do with themselves.

After living on the road with them these last several weeks, I could understand. Everything in the castle must have seemed so delicate, the carved furniture, the artwork, the fine tea settings and vases, the lavish upholstery and drapery. They were unaccustomed to such finery. The kitchens and armory seemed to pique their interest the most, which made sense.

“I saved this room for last,” Nicolas explained, his green eyes sparkling with excitement, “It’s my pride and joy!” He moved to the last set of double doors and flung them open. Beyond was the most splendid library I had ever seen! It was larger than the great hall and two stories tall with a balcony that wrapped all the way around, so one could reach the second story shelves. There were bookshelves everywhere, lining the walls and in rows across the first floor. My father’s library was a quarter the size.

“It’s amazing, Nicolas,” I said as I turned about to take it all in. “You must have a copy of every book written!”

“Lhoris,” came Ozanna’s voice in a near whisper.

I looked back at my friends. Lobikno looked pleasantly surprised, which was as good as a major reaction. But Lhoris stood frozen in the doorway, slack jawed. Ozanna called to him again and extended her hand. Nicolas followed my gaze and smiled at Lhoris’ reaction.

“What do you think, Lhoris?” Nicolas asked.

At last, Lhoris followed the rest into the room. “I can see why this is your pride and joy, your Grace,” he said in a hushed, reverent tone. “The medical library I studied in the woodlands doesn’t hold a candle to this collection.”

“Thank you.” Nicolas cocked his head. “I didn’t realize you were a healer.”

“I haven’t finished my training yet,” Lhoris explained, “but I plan to return to it as soon as I can.”

Nicolas nodded. “We have a sizable medical collection here. Feel free to borrow any of them. I just ask that they don’t leave the castle.”

“Thank you, your Grace.” Lhoris was awestruck, as if Nicolas had just handed him the keys to the kingdom. The reaction made my heart happy.

Nicolas turned back to me and said, “Emmelina, I have some truly exceptional books about sea life to show you. They were written and illustrated by sea fae, so they’re beautiful and accurate.” He offered his arm and led me to a quiet corner of the library. My elven guard followed. Nicolas found two books on a shelf and set them on a nearby table. Then we sat to look at the illustrations. His claim that they were beautiful was an understatement. I could almost see these alien beasts gliding through the water. The colors were breathtaking and often iridescent as the creature’s scales would no doubt be in life. Awe. I was simply in awe.

“Nicolas,” I whispered, “these books are stunning. How did you get them?”

“We don’t often engage in deals with our fae neighbors,” he explained, “but we did offer them aid during a difficult time. As they are not comfortable being indebted, they crafted these books for my collection in payment.”

“What a magnificent gift,” I said, turning the page.

With a snap of his fingers, Nicolas summoned an attendant and asked that our horses be brought around while we started on the second book.

“The creatures in this one can be somewhat horrifying,” Nicolas warned. “The fae lord that gifted these books said that this tome is about what lives in the deepest, darkest parts of the sea. Things mankind has never seen. It’s not for the faint of heart.”

“Oh,” I said, brightly, “No trouble there. I’ve seen much in my visions.” But some of those deep-sea creatures were eyeless and misshapen with needle-like teeth and snapping jaws. They were chilling and summoned little pangs of fear, though nothing I couldn’t handle. I asked Lobikno to come look at a particularly gruesome monster, knowing he’d probably enjoy it.

He hummed and said, “Handsome fella.” which was nearly an exclamation for him, masked as he was behind his cautious demeanor. I saw him take notice of where he could find the book later.

We left the chateau through the north gate, opposite the one we used upon arrival. The view was very different on that side with fewer of those large rocks jutting out of the ground. Modest houses stood beyond the trench that encircled the castle walls, and businesses beyond that. The town of Bergellon was surprisingly small for such a large castle. Beyond that lay open farmland. Gardens between the houses and trench supplemented the gardens within the courtyard. Brightly colored fruit and vegetables shared space with cheerful summer blooms and greenery. The road led through an orchard of fruit trees. Then the road turned west, and more farms and homes surrounded us.

“How long has your family lived on these lands?” Lhoris asked Nicolas, before adding, “Your Grace.”

“You don’t have to be so formal when we are away from the chateau, Lhoris,” Nicolas reassured him. “Members of my family have lived here for close to two hundred years. The chateau we live in now is not as old. The original was destroyed during a siege when my grandfather was a child.”

“It’s a fine home,” Lhoris said politely. “Is it in the same place the old one once stood?”

“Yes,” Nicolas answered, “It’s easier to see people approaching from atop the hill.” He paused. “Your people tend to dwell underground, correct? How would one defend such a dwelling?”

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