The Village Oracle
#4 of Heaven's Son
Standard disclaimer. This chapter contains no sex. The characters and places are my creations, I'd be very unhappy if anyone used them without asking. If you want to distribute this then ask my permission, chances are I'll say yes assuming it's unaltered. Feel free to contact me at nightflurry(at)yahoo.com for comments. I highly recommend reading the previous chapters.
Chapter IV. The Village Oracle
The 'Son of Heaven' she called him. It was ridiculous of course, but the old woman had a way with the words; they seemed so sincere and true. None of us gave it any validity, to be sure... not yet at least.
I must apologize, I'm getting far too ahead of myself. My name is Naorume Ishikaru and I'm the second officer of the Imperial Guard. That's what everyone knows about me, but there is so much more that is not known.
I was born in the Tappon Kingdom twenty-three years ago. The Tappon are a kingdom far to the east of the Dorians. My uncle was the King and my father a prince, which made me one as well. Things all changed though when I was only a young pup of three. In that year the king was overthrown and the royal family hunted down to extinction. My parents and I were the only to escape.
In Tappon, there were always legends of the fantastical empire far across the ocean and to the west, but few believed such tales. So we packed a few belongings, boarded a ship with some loyal hangers on, and set off on the wild adventure. I was too young to remember anything but scattered fragments, but I do remember the length of the journey. It took nearly a year and a half. Of course... that has a lot to do with the fact that we had no idea where we were going. Guided only by lore and legend, the crew traveled.
The many ports we discovered and re-supplied at gave me a very early understanding of the world and of hard places. The journey was long and grueling, especially for a young kit like myself. When we finally arrived, imagine my parents and the crews surprise to realize that they were actually there. The Dorian Empire existed. After so long traveling most had given up hope. For me, the sea was all I really remembered in my life at that point.
Once we arrived things got much nicer. We settled into a port town on the eastern coast of the Empire, where we hired a few intelligent citizens to teach us the Dorian language. Surprisingly, it was not that hard, and we all picked up the new tongue fairly proficiently in around a years time. During that year my parents spent every available moment learning about the Empire and it's history and customs in order that they might better blend in and make a living.
One day the provincial governor came around the village, now was my father's chance. He managed to arrange a meeting with the governor to tell his story. The governor was intrigued and fascinated by the wild tale and thus, decided to take our family to Doria. There, we used our foreign titles to meet with the Emperor. Emperor Darsus understood and welcomed us into his inner circle, allowing us to live as royalty, as we were.
Even from my early years I was groomed to be ever the best. I was taught to read, to write, to sing, to fight, to lead, to follow, to do whatever necessary to live up to my title of Prince. It was an unusual childhood, but I wouldn't trade it in hindsight. I rarely saw my parents, seeing as they wanted to make a true Dorian of me.
When I was twelve, I returned home on a rare break from my schooling. What awaited me were the bodies of my parents, in their bed with the throats slit; the standard execution style of the Tapponese people. I was absolutely shocked, I couldn't even scream or cry for help for a long while. I just sat there, staring at the lifeless bodies of my parents. The Emperor himself ordered an investigation... but of course it didn't get anywhere. There was simply nothing to go on, and likewise nothing to consol me. I've never really gotten over this experience, and I've had made it a life mission to give my family justice.
After that things changed once again. I was taken into the Emperor's family and began my new training. It wasn't as varied as the former schooling. No, this training was about one thing, fighting. The best and brightest young boys in the Empire could be picked for the Tourii Academy, and that is where I was sent. The training was very tough, and a lot of the boys didn't make it. I did though, by the gods what else did I have to look forward to? I had to succeed, so I pushed myself. The same bland food every morning, the same twelve hours of exercise and training each day, the same games and short sleep cycles at night.
The training was indeed harsh, but it produced the finest, hardest, and most talented soldiers in the world. Nobody in their right mind would ever take on a Tourii, and no enemy can keep their courage quite so easily if the Tourii are on the battlefield. There were only about five hundred in the entire empire; a true class of warrior elite. About one hundred would be stationed in the capital around the emperor; the rest would be deployed for special assignments or as special envoys. Just one small group of the Tourii guards could subdue entire provincial uprisings merely by being present. So you can imagine the immense pride I take in being a part of such an illustrious group.
After close to five years, I was besting my own instructors, not to mention every one of the classmates. It was then that I was released from my studies, and recognizing my great skills, immediately given a position in the Tourii.
I mostly guarded the Emperor. Only three times was I sent on other assignments. The first time was to join other Tourii in a battle against a slave uprising. My first taste of battle hardened me in a way that you can't comprehend without having fought in war. Sadly, in my case, I'm a master at combat. It's a mixed blessing; I'll always have plenty to do, but my greatest talent is something that eats away at you over time. The second assignment was also a battle, this time in the north against the Melikar. After that I was promoted several times over the next few years, reaching my high position rapidly.
The third assignment was Alexi. It was nothing unusual at first. Emperor Darsus asked me to go fetch a senator's son at his house. I expected a spoiled little brat, that's not at all what I got. Instead, I read Alexi as insecure and naïve. Perhaps this was true at first, though after awhile I'd never dare call him either.
I didn't like him at first, and I certainly had no respect for him. Us Tourii don't give our respect easily. We obey the orders of superiors, but for us to respect those superiors is an entirely different matter. Needless to say we were annoyed at having to escort the new enforcer.
To me, Alexi seemed a strange choice for such a high office; the second highest in the Empire. I didn't raise any objections though... I learned long ago that Emperor Darsus had a way about him that I couldn't comprehend. If Darsus thought that young Alexi was the best choice, then he probably was.
Then came the night at the tavern. I really shouldn't have taken advantage of Alexi's intoxication, but I honestly doubt he minds that I did. I did it to prove to myself that he was no leader; that we had him by the nose. It was a stupid dickwaving thing to do, but that's what was done. He surprised me though, even in his drunken state it wasn't him getting screwed... and it's not like he lost any innocence that night. Believe me, someone got to that raccoon way before I ever did. He handled the incident very well. He didn't remember it, but put two and two together to figure out what he'd done. Rather than make a deal of it, he said nothing, and the next day he wanted to go straight to business.
That was the first real sign to me that maybe there was more to Alexi than met the eye. The fact that he wanted to learn said a lot to me, and so we began his training. He was already an absolutely superb rider, so we started there; teaching him how to fight from horseback. Both he and his horse, Matthias, adapted to the new riding styles very quickly. Then the difficult instruction began.
When you've taught enough people hot to fight, you learn several things. One of them is that some people have a natural gift and some don't. The ones that don't can still learn and become very good, but they'll never be able to match a fully developed and trained natural fighter. Alexi was a natural. He learned fast... very fast. While he wasn't even close to a match for me or the other Tourii, he was well above average skill level after just the first week. Alexi shocked me with his dedication; with his waking up at the crack of dawn and sparring and training every possible moment he could.
By the end of the second week he could best about half the Tourii fair and square... they weren't jeering at him anymore. I've never seen a man learn so quickly as Alexi did. He was like that with everything, not just fighting. I let him beat me a few times, but he wouldn't be able to legitimately for a long time.
The perception of Alexi in my mind when we came upon the mass crucifixions was much different than when I had first met him. He wasn't the same playful ignorant kid as he was. No, in just a few short weeks he'd matured dramatically. I think it's because the reality of his responsibility had hit him, and he knew he had a job to do. But it was the mass execution that made him really step up to his title and take charge.
It was a difficult sight even for us hardened and jaded soldiers. For Alexi it must've been even more traumatizing. He didn't lose it though, so many people would have some sort of breakdown; he had a sort of calmed rage. He used that controlled and calm rage to completely overpower the responsible general. General Caius really got a dressing down from the young raccoon.
That same day the army moved out, and Alexi and us Tourii with them. Alexi didn't speak much with the generals, and they avoided him as much as possible. It was at this time that Alexi made another big and surprising decision. He had me fetch Lucian Erigyius, the otter Tourii translator. Everyone knew Lucian... anyone who's seen him won't soon forget it. I've been told I'm attractive, maybe, but Lucian was about the definition of good looking. I mean... the otter commonly posed for sculptures and painters. Alexi wasn't looking for what everyone else was from Lucian. He wanted something much different... What the young enforcer wanted was to learn the Melikar language. This took the equally young otter by surprise, but Lucian was up to the task.
The situation was like this... Originally our group was headed for the city of Cryspeus, but on the way we had run into the Imperial army. The Melikar had assembled an army of their own and had already advanced into Imperial territory. What the wolves had done was to put themselves between our army and Cryspeus. What that meant was that we had to attack them on the ground that they had chosen, if we stayed put or tried to maneuver somewhere else, they'd simply drive north and sack the city. The only obvious solution was to let them have their way and attack them, and this is what General Caius planned to do. The march would take about a week or so, during which time the Melikar would have plenty of time to plan out their defensive strategy.
On the second day of the march Caius approached Alexi. It was a cold conversation from the looks on their faces, but it wasn't openly hostile. Alexi revealed to me that the general asked if we would take the Tourii on a side road to scout it out and that he had agreed. I didn't like it. Caius could've picked any other cavalry unit, but he choose us. It seemed as if the good general just wanted to get Alexi out of sight, and that was probably the truth. In any case, we departed down a small side road that was supposed to go through a few villages then rejoin the main road the army was on.
We spent that entire day riding on a miniscule path that wound through woods and fields, eventually catching the sight of a wooden palisade containing a few dozen huts and buildings. As we approached the village, the inhabitants filed out and looked on curiously; doubtless these people rarely got any visitors. Upon seeing Alexi's purple garments they quickly knelt or bowed. This happened a lot as we passed commoners. Poor guy... that sort of thing always made him a bit embarrassed. Alexi blushed slightly and turned to me. "Perhaps I should put a sign on my horse that says 'Please do not bow'?"
I chuckled and shook my head. "I doubt many of these villagers would be able to read it..." As we approached the people were still kissing the dirt. In our travels our little troupe had come to the conclusion that locals usually mistook Alexi for the Emperor. Though I couldn't see how really... I suppose that they really didn't even know what species the Emperor was.
Lucian decided to handle this reoccurring problem in his own little way... "Alright yous! He ain't the Emperor so get your no good damned asses off the fuckin dirt. I swear..." He may have had the body of a god but he certainty had the tongue of a sailor; curious for such a highly educated linguist. The surprised villagers lifted their eyes and whispered to each other before slowly standing up.
I couldn't suppress a chuckle at that little 'Lucianism', as we dubbed his outbursts. Nor could Alexi it seemed. A male coyote appearing to be the best dressed approached us as our horses came to a halt within the village gate. I winced slightly at his heavy peasant dialect..."Aft'noon m'lords, wh'cn us folk do fer ye?"
Alexi smiled cordially and dismounted, myself and the other Tourii followed suit. "Just spare some food and water for us and our horses and we'll be on our way." The coyote nodded eagerly and motioned for Alexi to follow him.
I shrugged and followed as the villagers rushed to comply with the request for food and water. The coyote led us to a small hut in the center of the village and pointed at it. Perplexed, both Alexi and I awaited some sort of explanation. It was given. "Your coming was foretold, great Lord Comelius... the oracle wishes to speak with you and your fox companion."
That was a shocker. The raccoon and me exchanged uneasy glances and eyed the coyote suspiciously. Well... it wasn't too farfetched that this village might know Alexi's name... but it was a bit surprising. This is why I hated backwater shitholes like this place. Stupid farmers and their superstitions, every little town and hut camp out there had an 'oracle'. I didn't get much of a chance to protest though as Alexi threw the flap opened and entered.
I didn't have any real choice but to follow him in. The flap closed behind me and I strained my eyes to see in the barely lit and musky tent. When the dim images came into focus they were nothing to marvel at... a few candles and strange paintings on the insides of the tent, scattered elixirs and 'magic stones' here and there. In the center there sat a young female rabbit... A very young female rabbit, probably no older than eight or nine. She wasn't dressed in anything fancy... just a linen gown. Certainly not the traditional village mystic, that's for sure. This was just too much, I raised my paws and shook my head, chuckling softly, "I'm sorry sweetheart... but we're very-"
The little girl growled and cut me off "Mind your tongue, Naorume!" What? She knew my name too?
Alexi blinked and recoiled slightly, he appeared as unnerved as I was. She glared straight into my eyes for a moment, then smiled and turned to Alexi. The young girl took his paws into hers and raised them, kissing his wrists. "Welcome, Son of Heaven. I've looked forward to this for a long time." Alexi turned his head towards me with a very readable 'help me' look across his muzzle, but what could I do? She giggled playfully and released his paws. "You don't know who you are... how silly!"
The raccoon simply shook his head. The girl giggled again and leaned forward on her elbows. "Well... you're the Son of Heaven, you're the one who's going to conquer the world. All men of all nations will bow to you, isn't that wonderful? I've seen you for years Alexi... growing as a little boy, you learning to ride your first horse, Julian, you caring for your ailing mother... oh yes, I have long watched you. Listen carefully now. Never doubt what you know you have to do, and the world is yours. That's all I can say." The oracle's young face had a horribly sad expression on it. "I'm sorry, you must leave now."
We sat there a few more moments before I grabbed Alexi's arm and bolted out of there, him in tow. He was shaking and turned to me. "What... was that, Naorume?"
I glared at the tent menacingly, as if that would scare away the eeriness. "I don't know, Alexi. Let's get out of this place as soon as possible."
The enforcer sighed heavily and nodded. He mentally shook away the gloomy mood and cracked a smile. "You ever call me 'Son of Heaven'... I'll kill ya."
I chuckled and ruffled his hair playfully. "Alright then."
And that was that. At the time we were both very unnerved by the affair. It never in a million years occurred to me that this girl had any merit in what she said. I suppose in my mind I tried to rationalize what she had said. She could've found out our names with some research, but what peasant girl had that access? No matter... it was all nonsense and a camp joke for quite sometime.
It wouldn't be a joke in a few years...