Next Section

All right. As promised earlier today, here is the next section of Oracle. As a side note, these could possibly get longer and longer as of note.

A sigh escaped the hood and the new figure made a move to remove his hood. Luc quickly spoke. “I would not remove your hood if I were you friend, as your hair will be the center of as much speculation as my eyes…” The man quickly put down his hands and Lyzanor could see a grin. “Many thanks to you my fellow traveler. Tell me, are you a stranger far from home?” At this, he slightly raised his own palm.

Luc tapped the table once. “I am indeed; lead and I shall follow.” Luc raised his palm and showed a small sigil concealed there. Lyzanor however could not see it. As he slowly sipped his ‘faie wine, it struck him, the comment that Luc had made. He sputtered on the wine he was drinking. “You’re…!” The man turned to him and looked at him inquisitively.

“Does this have to do with my name? After all, I haven’t given it.” He smiled broadly from underneath the cowl’s covering and said, “My name is Jerrak. I know it doesn’t seem like much of a name, but considering, it could have been worse.”

Lyzanor shook his head. “I don’ believe this,” he began. He then lowered his voice to a dull hiss and spoke two words:

“Light-touched!”

Jerrak shifted uncomfortably. He looked around to make sure that nobody had heard what Lyzanor had proclaimed. No one heard, or no one cared. As he shifted again to try to make himself comfortable, he glared at Lyzanor. “Tell the whole flamin’ place why don’t you…”

A white hand rose to silence him. “Peace Jerrak, I’m sure he meant no harm. You are indeed quite unexpected to him. My name is Luc and his is Lyzanor, you may call him Nor for short.”

“You are Luc? Then truly I am indeed in luck. I have been looking for you.” Luc made no motion, and Lyzanor’s eyes burned with a passion against Jerrak. At his gaze, Jerrak looked at the table as if he had done something eternally wrong. Luc slid a hand up to stop Lyzanor as he began to leave. “Please, don’t blame him for something that he had no control over. I’m surprised you could even tell…”

Lyzanor jerked his arm away from the stranger. He took a good long look at the cowl without a face. He stood there for a moment, trying to fathom what it was the man under the cowl wanted. Not figuring it out at all, he nodded and sat back down. “It was the ‘Stranger far from home’ question that tipped me off. Only they ask such a question. We have had quite a few of them come further north, to where I live. I have had to turn them away. All know that they are infinitely bad luck.” Lyzanor looked at Jerrak and then said nothing else. Luc frowned under his hood and spoke once more, this time turning his attention to Jerrak. “You came here; obviously to see me; what is it that you were looking for?”

“Actually, I was looking for sanctuary as it were. These people have hunted me for such a long time. I just don’t know what they want! All I know is that they are trouble and that I shouldn’t trust them.”

“Do you know who they are?” Lyzanor’s question caught Jerrak off guard, but he quickly recovered. He cast his eyes down, looking at the table. “No. I don’t know who they are.”

"With your luck, it could be because of what you are." Lyzanor took another swallow from his bowl. “Were you followed?” Luc's question was also unexpected.

“I’m not quite sure…”

“That is quite all right,” said Luc. “However we must take precautions as if you had been. I’m not sure who it is or why they would want you when there are thousands of other Light-touched in this place, but I am quite sure that you did something of notice. I would hate to ever be noticed by… well. We need to get you, as well as ourselves out of here.”

Lyzanor lifted a single eyebrow at the comment that Luc had made. “Now that you have come to see us, they will no doubt think that we are in cahoots with you. I don’t doubt that we won’t be only because now we are involved…” As the white cowl that was Luc turned towards him, he lifted his hands and shook his head no.

“I am not going to get involved in this. None of my business. I am here only because of Nadiria’s call.”

“The Church called you, not Nadiria. If you want to live to see that wish of the Arch Prelate fulfilled, then you will help us.” Luc’s voice was dangerously low. Lyzanor’s eyes went slightly wider and he looked at Luc for a minute and then said, “Was that a threat?” His eyes went thin and his voice went strangely into a growl.

“No, it was a promise that if we don’t get out of here soon, that everything is going to go to shit.” Luc’s voice was flat, matter-of-fact. Jerrak looked around nervously and spoke in a hurried tone. “Please, I know that you can help me, but I need this help now obviously. How are you going to help me?” White porcelain hands tapped the tabletop.

“I have planned for this you know.”

Both people at the table looked at him and Lyzanor once again raised his eyebrow. “You have planned for this?” He sighed and took another gulp of his wine. Seeing as he had finished it, he called the tavern wench over again. “Get me another of this wine.” The wench smiled again. “One more… coming right up…”

“How could you have possibly planned for this at all? There is no way unless you knew that Jerrak here was coming.” Lyzanor crossed his arms across his chest and gave Luc an accusatory stare. “How do we know that you’re not the one who is after our friend here.” Luc chuckled silently to himself under his cowl. How quickly things could change with just a little bit of suspicion. “So he’s ‘our’ friend now is he?”

Lyzanor scowled at Luc. “You know what I mean.”

Luc shook his head. “No, I’m not quite sure what you meant, but do tell. I always have loved stories.”

At that moment, the girl came back. Lyzanor lifted his eyes as the wench came back with his second bowl of the ‘faie wine and left it on the table. He nodded his head and handed her another four coppers. The barmaid smiled at him. Lyzanor took a gulp of the ‘faie wine and then smiled back at her.

Luc waved her off. She rolled her eyes and then moved on. “Here is the plan. I am going to need you both to leave together. Go down the street until you see the District…”

“You don’t mean,”

“Yes Jerrak that is exactly what I mean. Go down the Green Lane and search for Catterinia’s. Ask for Melody. Tell Melody that you are a Stranger far from Home and Melody will help you.” Jerrak blanched.

“Well then, as soon as I finish this wine…”

Luc shook his head.

“No, you must go now, if even to stave them off for a few moments. Chances are that Jerrak most likely was followed. I will help get him out of this mess. I know what is coming.” Jerrak shifted in his seat, looking around as if someone were watching him. Lyzanor lifted his eyebrows as Luc trailed off his remark.

“Then let us go. We should leave now.” Jerrak looked around once more and nodded to Lyzanor. Lyzanor shrugged and then gulped the contents of the bowl. The honeyed wine went down rather fast and like fire. He grimaced and then placed another three coppers on the table. “Make sure that she gets these.” Luc nodded as Lyzanor turned to the now skittish Jerrak. “Let’s go now. We’ll find Harmony. Don’t worry. After that, I am off to find my call to Nadiria.”

Jerrak shook his head. “The name is Melody…”

Lyzanor nodded once and then shrugged. “Oh.”

As they stood up Luc smiled in his hood. “Both of you be careful and don’t get into any trouble while you are out there.” Jerrak nodded solemnly as he pulled on his cowl. Lyzanor brought the cowl of his hood up, and then left it down around his shoulders.