The Prophecy

The Council of the Sacred Volcano | Unexpected...

It hadn't been more than a quarter of a ray that they had been opened especially for the Troll delegation, when Demi-Lune showed up at the gates of the inter-community city. The elf who was on guard, desperate to finish his service, opened the little "sight hatch" to see who still wanted to enter, ignoring the Laws of the City. He seemed relieved to see an elf in front of him, the passage of the trolls had not been without inflicting many tremors of disgust and hatred. Not to mention their stench, which still wouldn't come out of his nostrils. Half Moon was about to embark on a long explanation of her presence and the need to enter at all costs. But to her great surprise, when she uttered the term "Council of the Sacred Volcano", the doors were immediately opened to her without any further formalities. The elf welcomed her even in courteous terms and showed her the route to follow, as a real gentleman.

She quickly made her way through the tortuous alleys of the lower city, the shops not having been taken out yet. She went up the slopes of the volcano in the direction of the Golden Palace. It dominated the city, close to the top of the volcano. The view must have been breathtaking, thought Half Moon, but as of now, it made the journey even more difficult. At half way, she had to dismount to relieve Flavie and took the opportunity to catch her breath. Finally, she arrived in front of the immense forged gold portals of the Palace. The guard opened them, not the least bit surprised, and showed them the stables. Once Flavie and Fenril were comfortably settled - happy to be in the company of the winged horses and green dragons - Half Moon set off to discover the Palace, wondering how to find the wise elves men in this immense monument. She knew that the Council Chamber was at the very top, and some had even claimed, which she hardly believed, that it was exactly above the volcano's crater.

She walked down the corridors that seemed to be climbing higher and higher towards the volcano the further she went. She was about to confess to be lost when she ran into a butler who walked hurriedly down the corridors and showed her the right direction. He reassured her that the council hadn't started yet, although it wasn't long before it would, and he almost disappeared by running into an adjacent corridor. At the end of a large glass-lined gallery, she saw marvelous doors from which a golden light seemed to emanate. She sensed that this was the entrance she was looking for, and she quickened her pace. Suddenly, as she walked past the reception halls, her attention was drawn to an atmosphere that she instantly described as "watery". In a large living room, a crowd was gathered, she was surprised to recognize some of the personalities that were part of the crowd. Then she approached and ... she saw.

The room was full of water. Supple, shimmering, lively water. Songs and murmurs seem to come from nowhere. So did the light. It was a strange blue light, undulating, phosphorescent, almost palpable. The people in the room were as if stuck in this water, and bubbles were coming out of their nostrils steadily.

Half Moon believed in an enchantment and ran headlong into it. By the time she realized her mistake, it was already too late: the water was all over her and surrounded her from all sides. The contact of the water on her skin made her shudder, although she was pleasantly warm, and when she felt herself being swallowed up by the water, which it insinuated into her, she was gripped by a panic that she could not contain.

A beautifully handsome man facing her raised his hand as a sign of appeasement, and it was as if all fear left her like by magic. A bubble of air brushed against her cheek, and she realized that it was she, herself, who had just produced it. With relief, she realized that she could breathe freely. That everyone was breathing equally and in the same way. The intensity of the light suddenly increased, matching the singing, and finally a shape appeared in the center of the fountain. It seemed to be a man, tall and imposing, elegantly dressed. His blue hair, which he wore long, floated softly around him. His eyes were closed, large marine lashes caressing his cheekbones. When he opened them, Demi-Lune glimpsed an infinite liquid vastness. His eyes showed every shade of blue that existed. Then the water that had invaded the room seemed to concentrate into a sphere above the fountain, and the man was now among the Council's guests. Everyone was astonished to be able to breathe again in the open air without feeling the slightest difficulty. And to be completely dry too. The sphere gradually descended towards the fountain and reintegrated it. The light returned to normal and the emerging daylight could finally shine in the living rooms.