The sound of soft slippers coming down the hall caught Karl’s attention. An older Troll with pale blue skin and one broken tusk, along with a scarred face and missing eye, made his way into the room.
The Overlords bowed to him, despite his power only being at the Commander Rank.
“The Oracle, I presume? My name is Karl. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
The old Troll smiled at Karl.
“I sensed that the interview was only going to go in circles, and I have little time for questions today. I must watch the borders for attacks.” The old troll wheezed.
“Would you like me to ask the Dragon Clerics to help you with your healing? Trollish Regeneration is good, but it’s not almighty, and the clerics can help with most wounds.” Karl replied.
The Oracle waved off his concerns. “It’s a side effect of my ability. It will heal slowly, then return as I look out into the world for dangers.
So, let’s get right to business.
I saw you in a vision yesterday morning. You used a skill, a most horrific skill. There was a Naga Queen standing behind you, and you created a vortex of fire that arced with lightning and created smaller vortexes.
So, after the trouble seers informed me of their findings, I cast a scrying on your location, and I found a sensation that could only be a spy from the Golden Dragon Nation. Who else could you be except for the spy?
They wouldn’t dare to send a nobody into our Nation, and there is talk of an Elite bearing your name. A Dungeon Champion of the Golden Dragon Nation who challenged a Tortollan Monk to single combat and won.
Overlord Morrisa drew a picture of that Champion for us, and what do you know? It looks just like the man in my vision of danger. It looks just like you.”
Karl nodded along. “That’s quite the convoluted story, but I follow what you’re saying.”
“Do you deny that you are a spy for the Golden Dragon Nation?” The Oracle asked.
“I do. I am not a spy for the Golden Dragon Nation. They had no part in my business ventures here.”
The Lamia whispered something to the Naga, who nodded in agreement.
“Oracle, perhaps you should look into his past and see what we’re missing. We’re obviously asking the wrong questions.” The strange Tree woman suggested.
[They’re terrible interrogators. If they were a little smart, they would have asked you where you were born and where you grew up.] Hawk scoffed.
[But it’s good for us that they’re not that creative. I’m not going to question our luck today.]
The Oracle nodded and Karl felt a strange magic surround him. The Oracle held his cheeks and looked deep into his eyes, while Remi giggled.
[Do you think he’s going to kiss you? Does this count as romance?]
Karl did his best not to laugh at the situation, and just waited for the spell to take effect.
The Oracle was staring into his eyes and chanting for a few minutes before he nodded and spoke in a demanding voice.
[Show me the first memories you have, as far back in time as your mind is capable of recalling.] He intoned as his eyes faded to pale white, losing track of the present and immersing himself in Karl’s past.
An image quickly came to Karl’s mind of landing in the lake when he was sent by Bishop Misty into the past.
[When is this, what is the date?] The Oracle demanded.
The scene skipped to the battle at Bunga City, where Karl first met Orthos.
[Darklight Host Champion, Gold tabard, Lord of Bunga City. The last resurgence.] The Oracle muttered, then shook his head.
[That can’t be right. Show me the earliest memory, closest to the day of your birth.]
The scene changed and Karl saw his parents, both in simple clothes stained the light grey of the bentonite clay from the Lithium mines.
[Where is this? What date.] The Oracle muttered.
[A village with no name, next to the deepest mine on the continent, under the light of the World Dragon.] He intoned, then the colour returned to his eyes and he stopped to stare at Karl.
[Have your parents ever even owned a calendar?] Thor asked curiously in Karl’s mind.
[Almost certainly not. They track everything by the workdays. Only the church uses years and months for anything.]
The Overlords waited patiently for the Oracle to finish.
“He was born in a mining town with no name, and at one point he was a Darklight Host War Champion on the Neia continent. I saw him challenge for the ownership of Bunga City. It doesn’t make any sense, unless he was thrown through time by an Anomaly.
But if he was moved through time by an Anomaly, how long must he have been on this continent to regain his sanity? My visions are missing something.”
“Were you a Darklight Host War Champion?” The strange tree woman asked.
“Yes. You can verify that as well. Grand Priest Orthos, the Bronze Dragon, is still alive and living in the Divine Beast Nation. He was there that day, and he can confirm that I did win the challenge for the city in single combat.”
The green light glowed, and all of the Overlords began to stare at Karl with the sort of curiosity that was normally reserved for rare items and new species.
“I’m honestly not that interesting. Not long after that incident, I was brought forward through time and didn’t live all those years in between then and now. In fact, I’ve only been in this century for fifteen years or so.” Karl offered.
The green light verified his words were the truth, but that only baffled the Overlords even more.
“Do you have anything that could verify that? Some item, artifact from the past, or other item that could be scanned? I have a spell that can verify the age of a non-living item.” The tree woman asked.
“Well, they went through time with me, so I’m not sure if they gained the age, but I still have some supplies in a storage bag. Here, try these. If not, I have other items from bandits I dealt with.”
Karl took a small bag of Elven trail mix out of his inventory and placed the mix of nuts and fruits on the table.
The Overlord looked ecstatic to see them, and almost reached into the bag to eat some before she could stop herself.
“Those are Elven trail rations. I haven’t seen them in a century. Those plants don’t grow on this continent.” She explained.
She cast a spell that made the bag glow green, then her eyes opened wide, and she stared at Karl.
“This bag was filled nearly ten thousand years ago. But the contents are fresh, and juicy, and they smell so good…”
Smoke was leaking from her mouth, as if she was drooling at the sight.
“You can have them if you like. They might be irreplaceable, but it is still food, and intended to be eaten.”
Her long, slender fingers darted out to grab the bag, pulling it to her chest. Then she delicately picked one of the nuts out and set it in her mouth, where it slowly disintegrated in the mist.
