THE FUTURE

Short chapter for the future of the magical world

Michael was leaning against cave entrance.

“Your boyfriend is back”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

He snorted “could have fooled me.”

“You’re girlfriend is a pain. But I doubt that’s why you are here.”  For a moment there was silence.  “Why are you here, Michael?”

“We need to talk about what’s coming.  We need a plan.  The deal made by your people did not take into consideration the culmination of power.” He was referring to the oracles and the deal made with the element of darkness, to remain dormant until a mage strong enough to handle the responsibility could be born. 

“Who says it didn’t…”

“Magic augments with every generation. That was the whole point of the agreement.”

“My dear little sister that’s my point.  Can you imagine how powerful said future mage will be.”

“Lets see.”  Alora walked to the scrying pool and waved a hand over it.

“Last time you said you couldn’t see that part of the future.”

“The future is determined by choices made and last time was a hundred years ago. All the players in the game had not been born yet.” 

“And they are now?”

“I don’t know.  That’s what I’m trying to see.”

Minutes felt like hours as the silence in the cave became louder than their breathing.  Alora needed to focus on what she was looking for in the future. Non specific scrying was easy. Looking at the future and taking it all in. But looking for something specific meant looking for choices not yet made.  The oracle waited for the scrying pool to change but the water remained clear for what felt like forever.  She shared Michael’s concern but there was nothing she could do.  She was the oracle of the realm and as such, she was bound by an eternal oath the remain impartial. 

Alora was about the break the scry when the pool changed.  Her mind had wondered for less than a second to a though she didn’t even register.  And there is was the future of the dark element and the mage that will wield its power.

“The mage will be a woman.”

“You can see it?”

“Yes, but you are not going to like the reason I can.”

“What is it?”

“You.”

“What about me?”  Michael sounded slightly panicked

“There was nothing. There was no future until my choice was made.

“What are you saying.”

“The power of the elemental mages are passed down in the bloodline.  Any branch in the bloodline. A nephew or niece as much as to a son or a daughter.  I have been keeping an eye on the succession line and one little lamb has stood out more than anyone else.  Zohan’s brother will have a daughter that will marry a man from Viredor.  They will have three children and the youngest will inherit the dark power.”

“When?  And how does that affect me?”

“My dear brother, the future does not exits without us betraying everything.”

He looked confused and appalled at the though of betrayal.”

“You have to denounce the light kingdom, give up your claim to our father’s thrown and join Xavior’s elite army.” She made it sound simple.

“Never!”

“You wanted a plan. This is the plan.  Without this the future is undefined.  The future will happen whether we see it coming or not but this is the only way I can see that we are in some semblance of control.  

“There has to be another way.”

“Right now there isn’t, but I will keep looking.”

“How much time do we have until she will be born?”

“About two hundred years from now, give or take a decade.”

“That’s not much time.”

“You asked me for a plan. I gave you a plan.  It’s up to you now big brother.”

“And what is your part in this.  You said we will betray everyone?”

“Don’t worry about my sins, big brother. They will be far greater than you can bare.” Alora said this with a devious smile on her face.  Yes what she was going to do in the coming future was forbidden.  To protect the peace she would first have to destroy it.