Chapter 644 The Shrine
The Elven Shrine was an elaborate garden of beauty.
It had a vast interior, with flowers decorating multiple end. The entire space seemed to have been made of flowers, and the amazing aroma that filled the air within its embrace added a more natural feel to its interior.
From the compound alone, it was obvious to the eyes that this was hallowed ground.
The cobblestoned path that led to the entrance was immculately woven, chiseled to perfection, so that all those who approached the shrine came with the utmost impression of the place.
There were lakes on sides of the cobblestoned path, almost making uts surface similar to a bridge—at least, in terms of aesthetics.
Then, the interior—made purely of aged stone and flowery matterials—was another realm on its own. It had multilayerd colors, thanks to the ambiance of the flowers and also the varying tiny lights that illuminated the enclosed space.
There was no window in the shrine, neither were there any sources of ventilation. As a result, without the small balls of light—akin to dancing fireflies—as well as the brilliant gems that decorated the cieling, the place would be a completely dark voic.
'It's cool for a place without ventilation…' Rey thought to himself after admiring the beauty of the Shrine that he now entered.
He felt it could be the effect of some Elven Magic, but he sensed no cluster of Mana anywhere. It didn't seem to be Magic at work, so he figured it had something to do with the statue that stood a considerable distance from him.
'That is…' His eyes narowed as he observed the life-sized figure of an Elf with six arms.
Two arms carried something similar to a planet—like Earth, or perhaps this world. Two of the arms held a staff, almost as if bequeathing it to another. And finally, the last set of hands had their palms clasped together in what appeared to be prayer.
The statue was perfectly sculpted. If not for its faded ashen color, and lifeless state, Rey would have almost thought it was alive.
'Six hands too, huh? Is that how The Oracle looks like, or is it symbolic?'
He was beginning to regret not asking more questions prior to this moment. Realizing how his excitement made him careless, he decided not to make the same mistakes again.
'In any case… I'm finally here.' He smiled, taking in the ambiance one final time as he approached the statue with as much deference as he could muster.
He was the only one within the Shrine, as the rest of the Elves were waiting for him outside. Rey reckoned most of the crowd would have dispersed at this point, with only the Elders waiting for him to be done.
"Huu… haa…" Taking in a deep breath and exhaling it almost immediately, he closed his eyes and did his absolute best to strengthen his concentration and connection to everything around him.
"Greetings, Oracle."
As soon as he said those words, echoes of his voice danced in the air. It would have startled him if he wasn't intentionally placing all of his emotions in check.
"My name is Rey Skylar, and I desire an audience with you. I pray to you, with the appeal of Nature, to grant me your presence."
He bowed his head humbly, even going down to his knees. Rey was ready to do anything it took to see The Oracle and get their blessing.
There was nothing like pride when it came to getting what he desired.
"I am an Otherworlder, O' Oracle. My allegiace is not with the humans, and therefore I do not associate myself as a beast of sorts. I have allies like myself who came from another reality to this place, and right now… one of them has fallen under a curse of this world."
Rey had debated whether or not to reveal his identity as an Otherworlder to The Oracle, but after considering it heavily, he decided that it was ultimately the best approach.
'I need to do everything I can to gain their attention. I don't care what I have to say or do to get to that point!'
For Rey, telling the truth was the most compelling thing he could do.
"I need you to help save her. Please, Oracle, grant me an audience with you so I may save my friend!" He yelled out.
There was no response.
"We were summoned to this world to eliminate the Dragons. It is to my understanding that Dragons are the enemies of your people as well. The girl who has fallen under this curse is incredibly powerful, and we might not be able to take the Dragons down without her assistance. We need her. We… we need you!"
Despite going a step further, not only to gather sympathy, but to provide proper utility for the Oracle's intervention… there was still no response.
Rey began to grow frustrated—and understandably so—but he sucked it all in and decided to be more patient.
"Please, Oracle. If you desire it, I will leave your land as soon as you grant me this audience and hearken to my desires. I am willing to do anything for your aid!"
Of course, by anything, Rey had certain caveats in mind. Still, all of those could wait until he got the audience.
Unfortunately, no response came to him.
'So that's how you want to play it, huh? Very well…' Rey smiled internally as he steeled his heart.
'... Let's keep going at this!'
[Moments Later]
'This is useless! I've tried everything, but its either I'm being ignored, or there is no Oracle here.'
Rey almost sighed in exasperation, but he had to watch his behavior in front of the statue. There was still a chance that The Oracle was listening to and watching him.
"Huu… very well." He rose to his feet in a soft and gentle manner. "I suppose I will return later for another round of prayers."
'The Elves told me that The Oracle doesn't often respond to their prayers, so I guess I'll just have to be a bit more patient.'
As Rey turned back, he suddenly felt a wave of energy fill the room.
~VWUUUUUSH!~
Instantly, his eyes widened and he swiftly turned to face the statue that stood still within the room. He froze at what he saw.
'Damn…'
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
Is the time here? Is his meeting with The Oracle at hand?