Reine sighed as she stepped up on the temple's podium, several days later.
'Another day, another bunch of 'customers',' she sighed mentally.
She walked up in front of the crowd and asked the first one to come up to her so she could read his future.
----
"See? That's her!" a hushed voice whispered. "All you have to do is to make sure that the crowd will lose faith in her abilities."
The blonde, good-looking man smirked as he turned his attention from his hooded conversation partner into the big hall of the temple, where the young oracle was predicting the people's future.
"Don't worry!" he said smugly. "This will be a piece of cake."
"Hopefully," the mysterious person under the hood hissed. "I paid you enough gold for your job. So don't fail me, Jadeires!"
----
"Thank you, my lady," the elderly woman said gratefully as she walked down the stairs.
Reine smiled as she looked after her. "You're welcome! Well, who's next?"
"I would like to know more about my future," a calm voice spoke up.
Reine looked into the face of the handsome, blonde man and blushed as he gave her a smile that showed off his white teeth.
'Now get a hold of yourself, Reine," the young oracle scolded herself. 'You are the Oracle of Ephesus and can't act like a common farm girl with a crush.'
She gestured at the seat in front of her. "Please, sit down, friend!"
The stranger sat down and she took his hands. "The positive influence of the goddess will grant you luck and financial success..."
Jadeires, known in seven cities of Greece for his slyness, smirked to himself. 'I know,' he thought. 'I'm gonna paid handsomely for this job...'
When the oracle was finished, he stood up and turned around as if he was going to leave. He then looked at the crystal ball, one of the tools Reine was using to see the future.
"My, what a nice sphere," he said with raised eyebrows. "It is made from crystal?"
"Yes," Reine said proudly. "A quartz crystal."
Jadeires smiled as he stepped towards the shimmering sphere. "It's ring has got to sound so pure..."
He raised his knuckles and tapped lightly against the apparent crystal ball...
...and they bounced off with a dull 'pong'.
"What the...?" Jadeires frowned, feigning to be taken by surprise. "What is this? That can't be a real crystal."
"Wh-wh-what?" Reine shouted in disbelief. "But why...?"
Jadeires turned around to face her, looking grim. "I know that the ring coming from real quartz crystal balls sounds more like a 'ping' instead of a 'pong'. This..." He gestured at the sphere resting on the table. "Is nothing but an imitation. Nothing but glass! How can you see the future within that thing?"
"Why you... How dare you?" Reine shouted angrily. "You dare questioning my abilities? I am the Oracle of Ephesus! You believe I can't tell glass from crystal?"
Jadeires said nothing, but instead, picked up the ball from the table and walked at the edge of the podium... where he dropped it.
Everyone within the big hall watched in awe as the shimmering sphere fell down to the floor... where it shattered into hundreds of pieces.
Reine gasped. How could that be? He was right, that had been a glass ball. But she knew the temple had always had a crystal ball, made from quartz. What was going on?
Idignant cries and shouts were coming from the audience.
"I always knew she was a fraud," someone shouted
"I already heard that some of her so-called 'prophecies' did not occur."
"She tricked us all!"
"W... wait a minute..." Reine said nervously. "This is all a mistake..."
"Listen to me, people!" Jadeires said coldly and pointed at the young girl. "This oracle... is nothing but an IMPOSTOR!"
"No!!" Reine yelled. "That's not true!"
But the people didn't want to listen anymore. Angrily, the crowd came closer, some people intent on recollecting the money they had donated.
"IMPOSTOR!" they yelled. "Get her!"
Reine yelped in surprise and escaped through the curtains behind her. Unnoticed to her, or anyone else, the blonde man that had caused the commotion did not take part in the chase, but instead sneaked out of the temple.
He approached one of the temple's entrance pillars, where the mysterious figure emerged from the shadows.
"Well done, Jadeires," the voice hissed. A gloved hand produced a small bag with jingling gold pieces out of the long robe. "Here is your reward."
Jadeires grinned smugly and took the pouch. "It's always an honor to help a priestess of Hera... Lady Usagres!"
----
Reine's grandfather, as the temple's high priest, was able to calm down the angry mob and protect his granddaughter from the furious people. Still, he had to pay compensation before most of the people were satisfied.
When everyone was gone, he angrily looked at his panting grandchild, who was sitting in the back chamber of the temple and sobbed.
"Well, I hope you are happy! Now the people won't ever want to listen to your predictions anymore. Which means I have to find a new oracle for the temple."
"But it isn't my fault," Reine protested. "It was this guy... he said I was a fraud. And then, he broke the crystal ball... but it wasn't a crystal ball, it was made from glass. Somehow... he must have switched them..."
"No excuses!" Hinos grumbled. "From tomorrow on, you'll be serving this temple as a mere acolyte. Hopefully that will open your eyes. You always took these 'abilities' of yours far too seriously. No wonder this ended in a disaster!"
"But grandfather..." Reine said in a shocked voice. "Don't tell me you still don't believe in my abilities..."
"Don't make me laugh!" the high priest huffed. "Predictions... seeing the future... Bah! That's all humbug! You really think the gods can take their time to send a girl like you visions of the future?"
Angrily, he turned around and left his distraught granddaughter behind.
----
In the afternoon, the mood between Reine and her grandfather was still sore.
Reine was just helping one of the other acolytes to prepare the temple for the next day, when one of the lower priests came running, waving around a piece of parchment.
"High Priest Hinos! You have to take a look at this!"
"What's this?" Hinos muttered as he looked up from his work.
The younger priest handed him the parchment. "This is hanging on various walls in town. Seems like someone has heard about what happened today."
Hinos huffed. "Heh, I'm not surprised if the whole town already knows about this." He threw his granddaughter an angry glare.
Afterwards, he looked down at the parchment and read:
'Practiced priestess and skilled sorceress from Vesuvius offers her services for free!'
"Wonderful!" the high priest smiled. "This can be our lifesaver. I was already worried I wouldn't be able to find a suitable oracle for tomorrow."
"But... it doesn't say how to contact her," Reine pointed out, as she looked over her grandfather's shoulders.
"It doesn't say because it's not necessary," a gentle voice suddenly echoed through the room.
The gathered priests and acolytes gasped in surprise, when all of a sudden, a puff of smoke appeared in the middle of the room. Out of it, a beautiful young woman, dressed in scarlet robes and golden jewelry stepped out.
The stranger approached High Priest Hinos with a smile. "I am Lady Usagres from Vesuvius. I have once served in the temples of Hera. Please, allow me the honor to serve as your oracle as from now on."
"Impressive trick..." the high priest murmured. "And a very prompt service, indeed. But why are you in such a hurry?"
The blonde, pig-tailed sorceress smiled. A black cat, that had been hidden within the depths of her robe, slinked along her legs.
"I've heard so much about your famed temple, and it would be a great honor for me to be in your service!"
"Well, what do you know?" Hinos laughed and looked at his granddaughter. "There are young priestesses that have some manners. I can't say that I believe in such things like magic and prophecies yet... but if everyone else does, it is fine by me. You can start your service tomorrow, my lady."
Reine just frowned. Somehow, she didn't like this stranger. Somehow, those eyes of the other priestess were sending chills down her spine...
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(Posted Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:43)
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