"Come on in. Just remember to wipe your feet." Nkiri the oracle leads the pair to her personal hut.
It was small, but the room was decorated with statue idols of lions and the walls were adorned with many beautiful tapestries. In the center of the stone floor stood a fire pit that glowed prismatic flames. There were also some barrels lined against the wall; Firion could tell from the smell that it was the same rum that was served at last night's banquet.
("Maybe the distiller is someone from their clan.") He thought.
Something immediately caught Kaida's attention beside the room's decorations, on one of the carpets lies a infant feline of some species, it was white with many spots.
She couldn't help but become enamored by the adorable kitten, but refrained from petting it out of respect that it belonged to someone else.
"Oh, that leopard cub belongs to one of my daughters....NEEMA! COME GET YOUR KITTY!" Nkiri shouted.
Suddenly a young yumbo girl runs in! She wore a green dress and kept her white hair in a neat braid. Carefully, she scooped up the kitten in her arms and politely nods as she exits the room.
The lioness snickers as she reveals a surprise. "Most assume she's one of my grandchildren, but she is in fact my youngest child, I bore Neema only 77 years ago."
Firion's expression becomes more baffled while Kaida looked amazed.
Typical female elves are generally only fertile until they reach their fourth century, which contrasts with men who are able to produce seeds for far longer. In contrast, deva women can still be fertile well into their eighth century, which is another reason the elf nobles convey devas so much.
"From the details that Emani and the others have described to me, I understand that both of you have lived sheltered lives in some capacity. So I am going to explain to you the breeding practices that have gone for tens of millennia between elves and devas. I know you two said you wanted to know a possible future, but in order to do that you must have a strong grasp of this world works in order for me to see such a reality."
They sat near the fireplace that stood in the middle of the room, and in the center of the flames were sparkling crystals. From the look of it, Firion could tell they were high quality fire mana stones, which he found a little strange as the most of the town folk would rather avoid it.
But in the practices of oracles and foresight, these precious stones can allow for them to project their mind into the flames to better convey what they see.
Nkiri carefully hovered her hands over the embers and almost appears like if she is weaving them into some sort of image.
"Let me just go the basics and explain what has transpired over the last hundred millennia, and why unions such as yours is not as uncommon as you think. Though I myself do not know which is the oldest such marriage, but between the white fangs and the first elf introduced in Junai dates back at least 40,000 years ago. From that time to now, more yumboes have been born than deva children, do you know why? Its because when either a man or woman deva breeds with an elf the child will always be an elf with renewed bloodlines." She carefully stated
Firion responded quickly. "I am already aware of this, when me and Kaida first escaped, we overheard some soldiers talking about it, apparently Aldenburg's ruling families have been secretly conveying blue horn women to produce high born elf infants."
"So your starting to understand the truth? Aldenburg nobles safeguard the secret of devas with its populace because their leadership is built on blood purity and maintaining their authority. Given that ANY child produced with a deva parent results in a pure elf with sacred bloodlines easily on par, if not more divine than their royalty." Nkiri pressed further. "So you can see why they keep it a secret."
The elf nodded and shared with the oracle what he observed through the centuries, including the many immoral practices of highborn elves in Aldenburg. He carefully described what he witnessed as a child, less than a century in age, when his family perish from the violent wildfires that burned down everything before his eyes, and then explained the prejudices he experienced while he lived there.
Kaida's heart becomes heavy for Firion as she listened, she knew he lived an unjust life with all that happened, but the thought of him having to relive those experiences made her worry. Just like how he desires to protect her, she instinctively wishes to do the same for him and help him forget that horrible place; she sat closer as she caressed his hands.
He felt more relaxed at her gesture as he explained to Nkiri how he met Kaida and why pursuers from Aldenburg could potentially be after them as she might have been raised as a intended betrothal to one of the members of the ruling family.
She glanced at Kaida and chuckled, "While we are keen to outsiders, I take it that most of the villagers would not pay too much attention to the details of a foreigner. I have seen many blue horns with silver hair but this is my first time meeting one with red hair."
The lioness hovered over the young maiden until she recalled their earlier meeting.
"Wait a minute, were you the lady that was submerged in mud that wanted to look at my horns?" She asked.
Firion also inquired, "You met her in the bathhouse?"
"She came over to where I was enjoying my weekly mud-bath, I could revealed myself then but I do like to enjoy my day without someone begging me to read their future or asking me what the weather will be like for the next seven weeks...." She started rambling until an unknown voice interrupted the conversation.
"Ah Bibi! I did not come out this far so you could drag out such a boring conversation!" Echoed a man's voice.
Suddenly the oracle's face twisted and snarled at the disrespect. "Watch your mouth boy when you address me in such a way."
From behind a curtain, a unknown figure blended himself so easily into the room that the elf became horrified at the fact of not sensing the slightest heartbeat of an extra guest! More so, this individual was the same eerie, hooded figure from the market yesterday!
"You don't have to look so horrified, as I have not done anything to you...yet. But I came with the permission of the oracle here so as long as I behave myself. But I have been DYING of talking with the forlorn elf and how he fell in love with the very last blue horn of noble blood." Says the enigmatic figure as he pulls off his hood and reveals himself.
Firion begins to sweat and quickly pulls Kaida behind him. "Why of all people are you here?"
The hooded person reveals himself to be a tall, light skinned elf with chestnut hair and green eyes which he obscures with a pair of glass monocles. His aura emanates a distinguished air.
"Derek Moonspeaker." He growled.