The Oracles of Mer

Chapter 2: Essa

Meanwhile in another sector

Essa sat up suddenly, the sun was well into its daily cycle, she sighed "everyone is already up and most likely bustling around the Temple square with their daily routines." The thought made her shudder when it struck her. "I have to talk to them..." She grabbed some food and a nearby Crystal. "...Nope" she sat down and began to record her story and her standard wonderings  "first I really wish I knew what her father was up to today." She adjusted in the chair and took a bite of food.

      "Okay, my story is a complicated one, but one I have been told various versions of... from what I know... the basics are this; I was labeled innocent in Oracle at birth a fact that was quickly verified by the Living Oracle Stones. That means I am an Oracle who is incapable of hurting anyone. The common phrase to describe them is harm done is harm received." Essa took a drink before continuing

      "To most this is a weakness, as soon as my birth parents learned this they fought to have me executed. When their request was rejected and they were caught trying to do it themselves they were immediately put to trial by the Oracle  Stones. The trial was quick but fair, when the final decision came down the Oracle Stones under guidance by the Great Spirit awarded me to my Grandfather. My parents were executed in the very manner they had tried to execute me. Their gills were removed and they were sank into the pond the Oracle Stones live in. The Oracle Stones then gave me the rarest of gills to make sure this could never happen to me. My gills could now never be removed, they are too complex to even hope to pinpoint how to do so." Essa shuddered, closed her eyes and took control of her breathing.

     "I didn't know my parents personally. Sure I've seen memories from others and been told stories by the Oracle Stones but the only family I have  known is my grandfather who raised me and his ex-wife who helped by way of her occasional visits. Everyone has left this planet at least once... except me. I've  never been of the planet."

Essa sighed she sat the pillow down she had been wringing and continued "The people know my father/grandfather as Elder, the most respected of the priests. Some choose to call him by his title of Your Highness seeing as that he was the King. Off-worlders choose to call him by his name; Cryt. I however just called him dad."

     Essa paused it, got up and took the dishes to the kitchen. She cleaned up a bit then returned to the chair and continued "Cryt's ex-wife Attie is one of the most powerful Oracles in existence a Pure Goddess Oracle. Pure being the Oracle Stones chosen title for those born innocent in Oracle. Attie live/ off-world at a Priestess Retreat with Cryt's mother the High Priestess Exue, one of the most respected High Priestesses in existence, she is Pure as well. I myself officially received the Evo Crown at the tender age of twelve. Dad was tired of it and handed it over in a fit of rage when the people where mocking me again. Our crown decides what is best based on what is needed not what is wanted. The Great Spirit and Oracle stones decide it. So far it's been mainly to prove their point to the people."

Essa pulled one of the pillows out from behind her and gripped it tightly "So here I am, Essa the Queen...the woman hiding from her people. But in my defense none of them think of me that way. They wanted to be done with this game and be allowed to chose for themselves how our people evolve. They treat me like a two year old or worse like a slave. The Oracle Stones have made it abundantly clear their opinions on that subject, anyone who tries to mistreat me has paid the price."

      Essa rolled her eyes and sighed "The stones, I haven't told you about them... my people are symbiotic, well we prefer to say the sister species to a rare Oracle species. Most of the people just see them as Stones. But in truth they are a Humanoid Species of pure Oracle Energy that can take any form. For safety sake very few actually know that they are not simply living Oracle Stones. Myself & Dad are two, the others were Exue and one of the Priests under Cryt. But as far as I know not all of them have actually see their true form."