In Svarga...
Twenty four hours, from true midnight, till the midnight. That was all the time the newly chosen Prophets would get to complete their first omens. Of course, time passes differently in the Realm of augury. But as soon as the time on Svarga reached the auspicious twelve, even those omens would be forced to close. And once they did, calamity would certainly ensue. That was the rule.
"Every year, after the ceremony of the new chosen Totem wielders is carried out, veteran Prophets are scattered around the planet to clean up the unconquered omens that come as results of it. The average number of chosen Prophets per year is eight hundred people, of which an average of thirty percent are lost to the Realm.
The success rate is that high since the chosen were mostly from those who had trained and prepared well for it."
"Were? What is happening? What has the Grand-oracle foreseen?"
The previous speaker continued with a slight nod,
"A thousand and three hundred would-be Prophets were chosen this year, and as of now— two hours to midnight, only ninety-eight have left the Realm of augury. Those numbers are likely to remain the same."
The hall fell into deep silence, one so uncomfortably eerie amongst the five overseers of Svarga and the Grand-oracle's representative.
Have the gods truly forsaken them? But this was just the beginning.
***
Her eyelids were thin and rested while her eyes were closed, her white eyelashes and eyebrows still noticeable on her considerably pale face. With how smooth and radiant her skin was, you couldn't tell that this woman had lived more days than there were in a century.
Her long and milky-white hair was raised to flow above her head like a river— at the black void below as she flew upside down in the air. Then her crossed legs were made to face the brilliant white sky.
Long serpentine black threads soon swam and coiled around the void, encasing this woman in a spiral.
"Boo! Hahaha!" A head suddenly popped out of the river of threads.
With gentle movements, the amber-eyed woman opened her eyes.
"Hi, Charles!"
The woman stared at this man's head as he floated awkwardly in front of her.
'Charles' suddenly lifted her palm to her face, and before this strange man's eyes, her head popped into white smoke, leaving the rest of her to float lifelessly in the void.
... The world would not be hearing from their Grand-oracle any time soon.
———
Wishing on it, a brown scroll descended from the sky into Equinox's hands, revealing the prophecy of his Totem before burning away into ash.
"What does it even mean?"
The scripture, like most others the Omen creates, was revealed in riddles. But Ikky would come to understand it in time.
Yaga cackled. "Let the thrill of the mysteries drive you. So until there is a chance to use the Totem, why not do something else?"
Ikky rested his bare back on the black grass, then his body flowed along the river as he watched the stars fall to the clouds and then bounce back into the sky, along with the moon person peeing cheese into a round bowl that would eventually become the sun.
"Are you crafting this fantasy?" Yaga looked up at the strange sky.
"I'm just letting my imagination run wild. Don't worry about it."
"... The sword as well?" She pointed.
"Huh? What sword?" Ikky turned his head around before looking into the waterfall he was falling from and finding the reflection of a lustreless white longsword falling along with him.
Its width was only slightly bigger than the width of the palms of his hands, before its bending sides met as a sharp stabbing tip.
The handle of the blade looked more like a dagger with two asymmetrical sharp ends pointing to the side, attached to a comfortably round handle.
That handle itself was a little too long for a one handed sword, and almost too short for a two handed sword. So it was one known as the bastard-sword, or just longsword.
Ikky stretched his hands out to the blade falling behind the water and called it to himself. As soon as the river pushed it out from the other side, he immediately grabbed it and then shook it slightly in the air.
"Hm?" He shook the pale blade again with confusion.
"Hm?" Yaga imitated with a questioning glance.
"I wanna turn it into a spaghetti." Ikky explained.
"... But it's not working!"
Yaga flew close to the sword and grabbed it with her tiny hands. "It isn't a figment of your imagination, Ikky. Is it not the Knight's blade?" She cackled knowingly.
"Huh?" Ikky pulled the sword along with Yaga closer and stared at it. The blade did look exactly like the Knight's blade for sure. But there were two reasons why it shouldn't be:
– Ikky had tried to smuggle it out to try and sell in Sumeru, but it shattered into shards as soon as he stepped into the portal with it.
– This was his subconscious. Everything here was a product of his imagination and passing thoughts, even his current body.
"It must have gotten absorbed by you while we were passing through the Gate." Yaga said again as she tilted her head to look past the tall sword in front of her face, at Ikky's inquisitive eyes.
If that was what happened, Ikky's first question would have been answered. But then how? Was it because of his Virtue trait, Child of Nyx? Maybe he had somehow absorbed it like he does to crystals.
"If that were also the case, it might explain why it manifests in my subconscious. Yet, I don't see the crystals I've eaten. Has my body just not digested the sword yet?"
The blade looked much paler than he had found it, so that was another probable thought.
"Hm~ Perhaps." Yaga slowly squinted her eyes gleefully as she watched him struggle in thought. After a while of racking his brain but coming to no conclusion, Ikky sighed out and turned to her smiling porcelain face,
"What are you playing at? You want bribe for what you know?"
"What?" Yaga asked back with a cackle.
"Pft! Forget it."
Yaga cackled again at his response. "I'm as confused as you are, child. I may be a guide, but I don't know everything. Especially not things pertaining to abnormalities like this.
... But, might I suggest asking an expert in charm crafting. Since this weapon is some kind of charm, those people would be more knowledgeable about this whole topic."
"Charm crafting? What? Are you talking about those medical somethings that makes people look good?"
" Oh... my." Yaga shut her eyes as she inhaled in disbelief.
"You have never heard of charms before?" She asked to make sure.
"Of course I have. Charm is like... Charis— charisthenic— chrisma. Yes! Chrisma! Women say he's got chrisma and that charm when they see good looking guys, all the time!"
"..."
"..."
"Maybe try pouring your spiritual essence out of your body and hope the sword shards flow along. I'm going back to my pot." The spirit quickly disappeared.
Ikky shrugged as he stared down at the white sword. "Whatever. She's a spirit shaped like a doll anyway. So what does she know about chrisma?"
Poking her head out of her cauldron, Yaga espied Ikky's struggling attempts with glee.
"What a moron. Suffer! Hehehe."