Morith: The Search

Scroll 16: Twisted

The sun, still fresh in the sky, and Red and her companions continued climbing the stairs. The long ascending staircase was a beauty. With each step they take, it’s evident in them that they’re enjoying it. For quite a pass of time, silence went upon the group, only saying words that run freely in their minds. There was worry, excitement, confusion and joy at the same time; bottling them up for a while. It bothered Red the most. Red thought,

“Now, we’re currently heading to the White Shrine; what’s going to happen next? What will the oracle say to us?”

Without notice, Terson got close enough to Red, that he was able to poke her. One press with his fingertip, and it caught Red’s attention. She exclaimed,

“Oh! What was that…?” She then tilted her head, and realized that it was Terson. “Hey, Terson, I never thought it was you. Is there anything wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong, it’s just that… I’m not used to awkward silence.” Terson then smiled.

“Well, you want to talk?” Red smiled more. “What should we talk about?”

“Lots of things…” Terson replied. “Is it okay?”

“You start it.” Red then nodded. “Go.”

“I was thinking of random things. Is there something bothering you? You can tell me.” Terson then smiled.

Red was surprised of Terson’s question. “Whoa, uh… nothing, I’m just flat.” She then gave out a sigh of relief as the staircase continued to ascend as higher.

“Knowing you, it’s discernable to me. There’s something, go ahead you can tell me. I’m a friend that you can trust.” Terson then gave a comforting smile.

“Okay fine, actually there is…” Red then sighed as she looks at Terson with worry. “I am excited, but at the same time anxious. What if the answer to all of our riddles is just another riddle? What if the Oracle would tell something that we couldn’t grasp on?”

Terson then snickered. “In that case, she’s not being that Lady of Wisdom which we thought she is. A true Oracle would always show the truth and not confuse the people who seek for her guidance. Am I right?”

Red smiled. As silence continued to dance in the air, Red made a recalling statement. “We’ve truly gone far… gone through many obstacles just to get to that shrine at the top of this mountain.”

“Yeah, but not far enough; this is still the beginning of our quest. Things always turn out that way; it’s kind of ironic actually.” Terson then giggled.

Red then gave out her warm breath and spoke. “We can’t keep ourselves thinking everyday of what brought us here, of all the things that happened. The lunar moon, Lorelei, the choosing ceremony and the…”

“-the book…” Terson interrupted. He then took out from his satchel, the old dusty tome they found in Blackheaven Manor and showed it to Red.

“We’ve gone through a lot lately, and it’s important to remember that this is one of the main reasons why we’re here, to have this piece of charted knowledge unlocked and unraveled and only the Oracle can do it.”

They’ve already covered a distance in the extensive stretch of stairs and both Red and Terson kept walking without noticing the expanse they’ve already taken. The rest of the party is starting to feel dropped, but both remained cool. Holding the book, Red then said,

“I was just wondering; what kind of secrets does this book hide?”

“Is it something magical?” Terson laughed.