"Of what is past, or passing, or to come."

~ Y. B. Yeats, "Byzantium"

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Soundtrack of the chapter: Secret Garden by Phil Rey

Media: A feorh

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Chapter Three: To Be An Oracle

If Cady wondered what Feorh Elijah was talking about last night, she found out in the morning.

Someone had tugged incessantly at Cady's blanket, trying to yank it off. Cady clutched the blanket tighter, unwilling to let go as she curled herself into a ball. She didn't want to wake up yet, it was far too early, and it was cold outside.

But the person wasn't easily discouraged. He continued shaking Cady until she sprung upright, determined to beat the daylights out of whoever woke her up at an ungodly hour.

It wasn't a person but a huge, menacing looking bear. A shimmering pair of wings fluttered behind its great body. It stared at Cady with its dark, beady eyes, as if to imply 'get your arse out of bed'.

Cady wasn't fond of bears, especially not one who had jerked her out of her beauty sleep.

Wait. Cady thought. What is a bear doing in my dorm?

She screamed.

She screamed like it was the end of the world. The bear dropped the blanket and clamped its paws over its ears while the other Starlets stared at Cady in surprise.

Someone strode over and caught her wrist.

"What in Nala's name are you screaming about? The Feorh won't eat you."

She stopped screaming and looked up. It was the dark-haired girl from yesterday—Jo.

"Cady, that is a Feorh, lesser Celestial Spirits who serve the Oracles. I should've told you earlier," Zoroth piped up guiltily.

Cady flushed, giving herself a mental slap. An Oracle should know about Feorhs.

"I'm sorry, I just panicked. I mean—er—a bear woke me up for God's sake."

Jo smiled. "Don't you worry now, Gaia is a sweetheart."

As if to clarify Jo's point, the Feorh raised a paw in salute.

"Sorry," Cady apologized. Gaia shrugged before walking off. Cady then noticed that the Feorh was coated in a layer of shimmering marks, just like her Starlet tattoos. She suddenly remembered her Walker tattoo on her arm, how could she be so careless?

Cady grabbed a jacket and slid into it. Luckily for her, the other Oracles were too busy preparing themselves to notice her mistake. She heaved a silent breath of relief.

When Cady was done washing up, she threw on the robes Gaia had provided (they were very intricately made, smooth white silk adorned with swirling golden patterns) and joined the others who were ushered into the kitchens by a pair of fox-shaped Feorhs.

The kitchens were similar to those of the Hall of Games. Its spacious shelves were cluttered with spices, herbs and tins of other stuff that Cady couldn't name. Rows upon rows of tables were lined up in a neat row by the side where hundreds of Oracles sat having breakfast. Feorhs busied themselves cooking and serving, sliding in between the crowd with grace and ease.

"Hey Cady, did you have a good night's rest?"

Cady grinned at Thomas. "Yep."

That was the truth. Cady was no longer plagued by nightmares ever since her return from the Crystal Cave and her bonding with Zoroth. It was as if her connection with Capella Sanguinis and her children was completely severed. She wasn't going to complain, since the nightmares stressed her out.

Thomas plopped down next to Cady and grabbed a piece of toast. "I can't wait to see the rest of the Hall. This place is too beautiful to be true."

"Indeed," Jo butted in with her mouth full.

"You're very quiet, Cady." Thomas observed. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, I just miss my brother." Cady chased her peas around with a fork. She didn't feel hungry. Her appetite was long lost when she almost blew her cover.

Thomas patted Cady reassuringly on her back. "Don't worry. First year here will be over in a wink. Plus, you can visit him during Beltane."

"Beltane is five months away, it won't be long," Jo added kindly. "I know exactly how you feel. I have a brother too."

"And you can always ask a Feorh to send him a message, they're pretty reliable. Just remember to tip them with honey. They are nuts for honey." Thomas said.

Cady put down her fork and took a sip of water. "Thanks guys, I'll find one to send a letter for me."

For the rest of the meal, Cady just nibbled at bread crusts while Jo and Thomas stuffed themselves full of food. Cady found it surreal, just a few months ago, she was still living in the mundane world of Georgia before her trip with Josh to Havoc Heaven changed everything.

Her hand went automatically to Van's golden ring that dangled from her neck. She still remembered his last words, his brief explanation of Esvanira in a letter before he passed. She often wondered where her real family was, whether they had really perished in the Great War. Van had left so little clues, nothing that could point her in the correct direction save a yellowing photo.

But right now, she was in the Hall of Spirits, the place where the Great War began. Here, she could dig deeper to find out who she really was.

The doors of the kitchens suddenly flew open. An enormous cat Feorh glided in with a little board held in its paws.

"New Oracles?" said the Feorh in a clear, musical voice.

Almost everyone in the first table raised their hands.

The Feorh twitched its ears. "Follow me. The High Priest requests your presence."

There was a wild scramble of chairs. All the new Oracles drew to their feet and dusted their robes. A plump Oracle a few seats from Cady stuffed some apples into his sleeves.

Wherever the Feorh went, it left a trail of glitter which vanished when Cady tried to catch them. The sea breeze was strong from the open windows. Cady strayed away from them for a brief while and stared out of the Hall of Spirits.

Undulating waves of an emerald sea greeted her below. The morning sun was a gentle flame hung in the skies, taking pleasure with the antics of seagulls. The Hall of Spirits, it was built on a cliff, looking precariously over the waters below.

Cady wanted to enjoy the scenery more, but she realized that she had already been left behind. Picking up her pace, she ran toward the group.

The Feorh eschewed them down an expanse of corridors before coming upon a set of white doors pounced with golden tendrils. It knocked on the doors before pushing them open, letting in a blinding ray of light.

It resembled a council chamber. Enormous pillars held up the shadowed roofs. Every window pane was decorated with colorful glass art and delightful tapestries sporting white and gold adorned the walls. At the very end of the chamber where a marble stage was raised, stood a gilded throne.

A balding, old man sat on the throne. On his head, a heavy golden crown rested. He was garbed in the most splendid garments of Oracles—white robes threaded with gentle gold, finished more gold layers. But the finery did not soften the permanent frown on his face, or lighten that down-turned smile and wrinkles. His eyes were pits of swirling darkness set in green, and his nose bent in a severe form of aduncity. Cady shuddered. So this was the High Priest—Raphine Sanguinis.

Beside the monarch, stood Elijah Sanguinis. He still looked tired, but the smile on his beautiful face was radiant. His golden hair was dazzling in the sun, even more so than yesterday.

The Feorh glided to the stage, handed him the board, bowed and vanished. Elijah Sanguinis walked down from the altar, with immense care; his staff went first before he took a small, advancing step.

"Merry Meet, fellow Oracles. Welcome to your first day in the Hall of Spirits."

They murmured their greetings, with not much affection. Their focus was directed at the steely man behind Elijah, their former excitement tapered by his fiery gaze.

"May I introduce you to the High Priest of the Hall of Spirits—Raphine Sanguinis. He is the leader of all Oracles, the heart of Spirits."

Raphine Sangunis rose to his feet. Cady wanted to duck into a corner and hide herself in the shadows. Her heart was a stone in her chest; dead with fear as the High Priest perused them, his eyes hard emeralds. He was going to see through her, see through her fake identity and draw out her inner Walker. She subconsciously flicked at her shadow, to check whether it was still in its human state.

"Yes, I am the High Priest of the Hall of Spirits. I am of the Sanguinis bloodline, the longest generation ever to run the Hall." His voice resonated through the chamber, deep and sorrowful, as if he had just downed a bottle of pain. Cady remembered Elijah's words the previous night.

He had suffered so much, lost even more at the Great War.

Zoroth growled in her mind.

"Don't you go feeling sympathetic for this son of a bitch now. Do not forget what he did to us Walkers and Decanates."

"I don't like him," said Cady, still fighting the urge to run and dodge his gaze.

"The feeling is mutual, little one," said Zoroth. "Nobody does."

"The Hall of Spirits is your new home for the next four years. Here, I will be like your father, and your fellow Oracles your sisters and brothers. Knowledge is the key to the world, so learn with diligence. Be loyal to the Hall, be loyal to your Masters and Mistresses. Most importantly, be loyal to the Hall of Spirits."

There was an unspoken emphasis on his final sentence that cut into Cady. How could she be loyal to the Oracles when she was a Walker?

"Elijah will be your mentor. He may be young, but he is my successor and a talented Oracle. I have faith in him."

Raphine Sanguinis dropped his gaze to his grandson. For a moment, his face seemed to glow, and that crescent of his sad mouth curved upward. Elijah beamed back.

"Go, I am tired now. Elijah will show you around the Hall of Spirits. Remember what I said, learn and train well, you will not regret it."

Elijah promptly bowed and ushered the Oracles out of the chamber while Raphine Sanguinis sank back to his throne.

Thomas grabbed Cady's arm.

"Are you okay, Cady? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No, seriously, I'm fine." She tried to ward off Thomas' attention.

But instead of backing down, he grabbed Cady by the shoulders and spun her toward him.

"Look, ever since you entered the Hall of Spirits, you looked like you've been possessed, or scared to death by something. I promised your brother I will look after you, and you must know you can tell me anything. I will try my best to help."

Cady gave Thomas the most sincere smile she could muster.

"I'm fine, Tom. I just need time to adjust."

Thomas didn't look convinced, but he simply nodded and drew back.

Elijah was trotting happily in the front, explaining the Hall of Spirits to them. Cady directed her focus back to the High-Priest-in-training.

"Here, we have the Hall library, it isn't as grand as the Great Library of Emareth, but it is the largest among all Halls." He waved a hand at a large chamber at their right, where runes crawled all over the wall. "You are welcomed to visit the library whenever you like before curfew hours, just don't destroy the book spines, the library Feorh will not be happy."

Cady grinned. She could totally relate to the library Feorh. She would go ballistic if anyone so much as tried to fold the corners of her books.

They went down a flight of curved stairs where Elijah showed them the separate training Halls, all resembling those in the Hall of Games.

Cady suddenly picked up a small howl, almost like a wail of pain. She spun around and stared at the deserted corridor to her right. The other Starlets didn't seem to hear the sound.

Dismissing it as a figment of her imagination, she resumed walking. But the wail came again, this time, clearer.

"Did you hear that?" she said out loud.

Elijah spun around, looking confused.

"Hear what?"

"A wailing sound, someone is crying."

Elijah's brows creased together. "There is no one down here but us, Oracle. You must have imagined it."

"No, I swear I heard it, twice."

Elijah turned away. "It must be the wind. Come on now, we don't have all day. The Hall of Spirits is vast."

Cady would be glad to believe Elijah's answer. But there were no windows.

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A/N

Oooh, there might be ghosts down there! For the first time, the Spirits of the Hall were revealed. Would you like a Feorh? Do let me know your thoughts. :D

As usual, remember to hit that little star and turn it to gold with your magic powers!

Chocolate bunnies,

Stef