"Number 30,122,519, you may proceed to the audience chamber..."
The Oracle sighed slightly as he looked down towards the crowds from his shrine loft. What he'd seen in his telescope following predawn meditation indicated that there was to be conflict
in the day ahead and that it would involve him directly. Even as he heard his assistant Eve, the one and only Chroma Nymph, call out this next number, he felt
that somewhere in that throng of elementals seeking guidance was a disturber of what little order existed in the mass.
As usual, with some vague words and a gift he was able to soothe those who arrived with problems. Any who he knew would go away grumbling, not pleased with
his advice or gifts, he still showed this kindness even though fate didn't change to meet their expectations - for, of course, fate did not suddenly change
for anyone. Generally the Oracle didn't change suddenly for anyone either, which he knew was going to be the problem as soon as a certain irregularity cropped up:
though Eve had called a ticket in the low hundred thousands before, the next (with confusion reflected in her voice) was nearly half a million higher.
It meant someone was meddling with this established audience system. Again, the Oracle sighed. The only people in the realm powerful enough to put cracks in
this old magic were the ones liable to think themselves above it. The False Gods. And while occasionally they came to seek advice, similar to other elementals,
more often it seemed to involve arguing and failed attempts to bully him.
Out the open-air structure of the shrine, sure enough, a figure nearly twice as large as any other elemental approached. After clear condescension towards the
crowds as well as irritation with the thickness of the throng, the figure eventually lifted into the air and began skaing through the air, propelled by
winged sandals. This, of course, let the Oracle quickly identify his visitor who entered shortly after.
"Hermes." Keeping his voice calm, the Oracle simply granted the respectful nod he did to everyone. Hermes, for his part, returned a scalding look.
"I assume you had help from...Paradox? Or perhaps Lionheart? They both take pride, as I recall, in their capacities for celerity."
"You recall too much, Oracle. Every day Our powers are further damaged because you point young elementals in one of Our directions and allow them to prepare
for a fight which you know they normally can only guess."
"Frankly, Hermes, it is your pride which is further damaged. We have discussed this before." The large Elemental rapidly had a flaming sword at the prophet's
throat. "We have discussed that before too. But, if you must be reminded of that which you wish not to hear, you are no more a deity than am I. I am as justified
in giving advice about encountering one of you as I would be about giving advice on any potential encounter."
"Then why don't you tell whoever comes to see you who'll they fight next at all, or what they'll have for breakfast tomorrow for that matter?" Hermes was spitting.
"Your group is the strongest currently in the realm and few would dispute it; running into you is far more significant than any other encounter. For the sake of
the weak, I tell them. Further, though a bit of an aside, each of you are far easier to locate." So saying, the Oracle took a step back from the Farenheit,
walked over to the wall, and began inspecting his fortune wheel (which had begun spinning as soon as Hermes entered)
"There are plenty who are not weak and you enable them to prey on Us!"
"As opposed to pray
to you? Hermes, I do not stand for you. I advise to lead toward's fate's intended course, and since in our land it is not solely a
matter of the strong taking advantage of the weak - deny it if you want, you can be wrong - the tendency of fate is parity. You could ask Chaos Lord, and
though he has significantly refined his methods to cut out negatives he'd still agree the general principle of balance holds if being perfectly honest."
"You accept audiences with hundreds, possibly thousands of elementals every day, give them whatever miscellany you somehow manage to dig up, tell them where
to find Us knowing that they will ask the elders among them how best to defeat us - and you call that balance?"
"Yes."
"Giving out Our locations, knowing that they'll be told how best to attack us, does not give you a claim to seeking equity!"
The Oracle, observing the wheel, murmured, "At least you admit you're not invincible." Speaking again to his visitor, he replied, "How so? If your power decreases
and theirs increase, that is a step along fate's path."
Hermes, frustrated at apparently losing ground, jabbed his blade into the nearest thing he could reach. In this case, that was the wheel; the worn wood gain a new
scorch mark. "Besides...if you're such a firm believer in balance, where's the balance to you? You say what you're doing is in the name of stability yet you
wield uncallenged admiration and influence."
The next murmur was now audible to Hermes: "Fate will likely take that blow into account..." After saying this, the Oracle shifted slightly to glance over to his
guest. "I suppose that seems accurate, though I believe my balance still exists in a more subtle form." A pause. "Out of all the 'young elementals', as you described
them, who are waiting outside...how many of them do you think really admire me or are actually going to take my advice seriously?"
"Well...how would I know?"
"It's not many. To most, my value is not in who I am or what I know - it's in what they can get from me. I continue giving, on the grounds that it will, as I
mentioned earlier, all balance out over due course. But my true influence? I do not claim divinity as you do and those to whom I speak do not usually take
my words to heart, only my gifts and directions towards...well, you and the others, for reasons I already gave. My work towards balance, as well, I know is
not carried to fruition at least as often as it is. For every ten Elementals who recieve gifts from me, perhaps one or two will cultivate them in conjunction
with their own talents to grow. At least three more will complain the gift doesn't match them (thereby missing the point), another two will sell it off at first
opportunity, and the remainder will fail to learn from their elders or their own mistakes and probably continue to do so for the forseeable future."
At the very least, the expression Hermes wore slowly softened from hatred to vague interest. "...and you keep going why, knowing most of what you do is wasted
outright?"
"Strictly speaking, it's not wasted outright...but let me ask you a question in return first. Why do you continue training and fighting, knowing that you're
prepared against most threats?"
"It's just what...I do... Oh. Okay, bad question I guess."
"There are no 'bad questions', just some which can't be answered well, such as motivation. Speaking of motivation..."
The wheel stopped. The all-important gleaming ticker on the right side contained the slice of the circle with the
mark. "It seems that fortune favors
you in this regard today, Hermes." After consulting several scratches and marks on the wheel, the Oracle handed over a scroll for the summoning of a pillar.
As well and as per custom, he delivered a prediction to his visitor.
"Today will be the foundation of something significant...which I do sincerely hope after our talk. If you wish to remain the best, you know why I'm sending you
challengers. Further, my friend, the world is on fire; whether it is as a conflagration or a tool is now up to you."
