It had been several hours since the spurred locomotive engine rubbed against the rails. Alicia was still struggling with the ancient book of the "renowned" astrologist. The writings were indeed written in the old form of the common tongue, which was not a big matter for a knowledgeable person like Alicia. But the problem was, she poured all her concentration on every line of words within the first few chapters until her eyes hurt, yet no fragments of sentences referred to her being. Everything still contained divinations that would occur several years after he sent the book to the outside world, which, as Alicia remembered, never occurred.
"‘Five periods from now, the east shall hast no more sunrises. Five periods from now, the welken shall be tangerine blood. Every day, a twilight. Every day, deeper declination’." Alicia turned the page. "‘When thou see the kingdom of heaven above the mountain, remember that all light hath been taken from it. What else is sacred there?’"
The girl intermitted. She pondered what she had just read, muttering to herself. As far as she could tell, the east was doing well so far. The sun still blessed them with light before the Western continent. Never had she heard from the news or historical records that the heavens in Chixian Shenzhou always saw the sky red with blood. Kagatse was often described as a four-season paradise on the radio as well. And according to telemedia shows, the peninsula of Sinsi was the best place to see the sun rise and set over the vast ocean. These three countries did have internal conflicts with each other, but the girl did not see it as something significant that would cause the skies to bleed. All places in this realm had experienced conflict.
Unless tis about the strange interdimensional attack that occurred in these regions for the past five years, she thought again. She could take this fact a consideration, but nevertheless, the eastern regions managed to prevent the thread from spreading with their advanced mystic arts, so she was quite unsure. Perhaps she could help them seal the interdimensional portal for good with her Divine Grace?
Alicia continued her reading, this time the prophecy regarding a mother of giants. "'I believe in no gods other than the stars. Yet the stars hath spoken to me: the mother of giants shall visit those who are called her children in the other world, and they shall roar. Wherein that happens, how wise would the eternal empire be fearful,' wait what? But… who is the mother of the giants in question? The Syvatogor’s mother, father of all Giants? No one knows her, especially since Syvatogor was abandoned by his parents when he was a wee bairn...”
She understood more and more why Nostradame was a false astrologist to many. Not only was his prediction err, but he did not appear to have a profound literacy of history!
Alicia continued to examine the contents of the book. People would flock to become a god as their idols? "I mean, everyone always wanted to be a god, right? Why would he explain an obvious? You believe this, Orb?" said Alicia to Orb, whom she propped under her chest. The magic ball answered her dearly, asking her to keep reading.
There would be more and more non-magical cities, and magic would cease to? Impossible! Non-magic cities might increase, but the mystic arts were also growing, becoming more sophisticated, more dangerous. People like Alicia felt that they were still treated as second-class citizens among the magical nobles. She still considered it as luck, considering she was a baron's daughter. It would be a different story if she came from the common people or even paupers.
The next prophecy was enough to make the girl indignant. The power of the Eternal Empire would bring humans a thousand years of peace? Alicia immediately closed her book. This book was a joke. This was just fictional utopian writing that was not even better than the epics she brought to kindergarten. Eternal Roma was the sole reason this world was considered to be close to the crack of doom. Intervening in other countries' affairs for the sake of exploiting their resources, then pretending to be a mediator between governments, to trigger another war. Its monopoly policy of buying and selling the Arcane might exacerbate everything. If only the Eternal Empire could vanish, world peace might be at hand!
Annoyed, she threw the book, and it fell not far from her feet. She stretched and lay down on the soft sofa. She should not have listened to the Grand Magus' instructions. He surely just wanted to make sure the girl was busy during the trip, considering that the trip took more than one day.
What are you doing, Alicia? Take it and finish your reading! Orb spoke to her.
Alicia replied, "Really, Orb? This book doesnae say anything about my destiny."
You haven't read the whole thing! Do you already know what you're looking for in Vanir? answered Orb.
Orb had a point. Once Alicia was already in the capital Vanaheim, she should at least know the outer contents of the prophecy before she could search the tree of knowledge for details. Not knowing what she was looking for meant no details would be given to her.
Alicia groaned in frustration. "Alright, alright! Only because you asked, Orb."
She took back the book. This scripture was actually not thick like any common ancient scripture. When Alicia flipped to the next page, she was already at the last section.
Read it to me, Alicia, Orb requested.
"Aye, ye spoilt baw."
I like it when you read aloud.
"Quiet."
The last chapter she was about to read was called "The End of the World." What a jaw-dropping title. The lass hoped her nape hair would shudder when she read the title.
So she began to read its contents:
"'This is mine last prediction. I say this before I die. All this time I sensed that I am being mocked by the stars. They didst not move, they canst not bend, so they frame me as material for the ridicule of the universe, a comedic relief. I canst not see the stars from an ordinary perspective like the other prophets. I am exceptional. The stars sent me messages in an unusual way so far, because they didst not crave the darkness of the endless tarpaulin behind them to see. Nay, the darkness canst not wot before the time. The stars told this to me; the end is nigh. The realm hath fallen depraved. The Overseers of the Universe canst not remain silent anymore. The earth shall receive its judgment five periods after the release of this book. Wherein that day comes, the Six Children are presented to the Overseers of the Universe as earth's witnesses. The Six Children shall become the owner of the strongest power in the realm of thaumaturgy at their time. Their ability is beyond the reason of all mages, and how they use it shall determine the fate of the earth.
I know not what, whom, or of what quantity the Oversees of the Universal are. The star expanses rushed before their constellations switched again. I know not all that because the only cosmic creatures that I know exist are stars. I do not put mine faith in what they considered darkness, the Primordial Opposition. I do not find the almighty, the Silent Divine. 'Tis impossible for a divine to be silent. It whispers something and if thou hark it, it is not the silent one. And the ones whispering things into mine ear are the stars. Mine faith is in the stars.
Yet the stars say to me whom the six representatives of this earth are. The six symbolises the essence of the universe which creates life and perpetual wink'.”
A glimmer of light appeared in Alicia's mind. "Is this the intended contents of the prophecy? Wouldn't it be better if the Grand Magus just told me directly, or at least told me where the part of the prophecy was for me?" she muttered.
He just wants to keep you busy throughout the day. You're a bookworm. Rummaging through books is your fondness. If you had known this from the start, what would you have been doing all day on the train? Interfering other wizards? Orb's response to the girl.
Alicia replied to Orb, "I don't know, maybe? The magic lady named Odelie wanted to play around with me, even though she made me…." Her body heated up a bit as her imagination started to run wild. "… I do not know what to say."
Just read on, Alicia.
"Ah, Orb!"
Alicia continued her reading,
"'Stars quoth that a child shall become a stream of magic that is silent in a thousand languages. A child’s mouth is covered with winter mist. Winterlips, they shall name the child. The child shall silently pass thou with a cold feeling because thou are not the child’s current. The child is aye loved by many people yet the child never cares about thou. Anon, the flowing water shall no longer course its container. It shall create its own vessel and the shell of its vessel is hard.
Yet before it creates its own container, it might not but be found. It might not but be limited. Water aye follows the flow, so if going astray is the path, then that's where it shall flow. It shall not flow itself to quench the thirst of the living, yet to carry aroint the blood of the dead. Its shell shall be as hard as stone and the color of perpetual wink red. It shall become poison.
The water might not but be carried to the void, where it canst not form, then it shall adapt. Hence, it shall form its own container. It shall become merely round. Its shell is hard not because 'tis impenetrable, yet because it lets others in and 'tis shape remains alike. A child shall be clean and pure. A child shall refresh souls and drown out evil.'"
A symbol in the form of rounded water droplets appeared on the paper right after the last text was written. The girl didn't understand what the symbol meant. Maybe it was just a decoration? To give an aesthetic impression to a gloomy book? Alicia did not know or cared at that time. She kept on reading.
"'Stars quoth that another child was a pile of earth on which a beast's feet rested. The child was stubborn. Should the child had a mouth the child would fleer for learning from the beast every day. Should the child had eyes, the child would look at giant claws that stomped on the child with disgust. Do not compete the child with that beast because they are just as hard, both shall break. Solid foundations when they hit other solid foundations, both of 'em shall collapse. Shattered to pieces with all the memories of those whom stepped on it, because they fell and died too.
The earth and the beast might not but be at peace. The earth might not but grant a foothold to the beast, and beast hast to plow the earth to compose it loose. Let the earth break. It be broken, yet it will be merely broken. Let it crack an inch or twain, yet the bottom might not but be firm because it is the hope of those whom do not fly. If the beast and the earth get together, then the land shall be fertile and pure. The land shall become firmer and more fruitful, and the beast shall be able to eat it. The two shall become one reliable cohesion'!”
Another picture! This time was the symbol of an earth lump with a huge fanged face and bulging eyes. This symbol could catch Alicia's attention for a while, unlike the water symbol just now. Still, she knew nothing about the symbol's meaning and turned to the prophecy of the third child. []
It had been several hours since the spurred locomotive engine rubbed against the rails. Alicia was still struggling with the ancient book of the "renowned" astrologist. The writings were indeed written in the old form of the common tongue, which was not a big matter for a knowledgeable person like Alicia. But the problem was, she poured all her concentration on every line of words within the first few chapters until her eyes hurt, yet no fragments of sentences referred to her being. Everything still contained divinations that would occur several years after he sent the book to the outside world, which, as Alicia remembered, never occurred.
"‘Five periods from now, the east shall hast no more sunrises. Five periods from now, the welken shall be tangerine blood. Every day, a twilight. Every day, deeper declination’." Alicia turned the page. "‘When thou see the kingdom of heaven above the mountain, remember that all light hath been taken from it. What else is sacred there?’"
The girl intermitted. She pondered what she had just read, muttering to herself. As far as she could tell, the east was doing well so far. The sun still blessed them with light before the Western continent. Never had she heard from the news or historical records that the heavens in Chixian Shenzhou always saw the sky red with blood. Kagatse was often described as a four-season paradise on the radio as well. And according to telemedia shows, the peninsula of Sinsi was the best place to see the sun rise and set over the vast ocean. These three countries did have internal conflicts with each other, but the girl did not see it as something significant that would cause the skies to bleed. All places in this realm had experienced conflict.
Unless tis about the strange interdimensional attack that occurred in these regions for the past five years, she thought again. She could take this fact a consideration, but nevertheless, the eastern regions managed to prevent the thread from spreading with their advanced mystic arts, so she was quite unsure. Perhaps she could help them seal the interdimensional portal for good with her Divine Grace?
Alicia continued her reading, this time the prophecy regarding a mother of giants. "'I believe in no gods other than the stars. Yet the stars hath spoken to me: the mother of giants shall visit those who are called her children in the other world, and they shall roar. Wherein that happens, how wise would the eternal empire be fearful,' wait what? But… who is the mother of the giants in question? The Syvatogor’s mother, father of all Giants? No one knows her, especially since Syvatogor was abandoned by his parents when he was a wee bairn...”
She understood more and more why Nostradame was a false astrologist to many. Not only was his prediction err, but he did not appear to have a profound literacy of history!
Alicia continued to examine the contents of the book. People would flock to become a god as their idols? "I mean, everyone always wanted to be a god, right? Why would he explain an obvious? You believe this, Orb?" said Alicia to Orb, whom she propped under her chest. The magic ball answered her dearly, asking her to keep reading.
There would be more and more non-magical cities, and magic would cease to? Impossible! Non-magic cities might increase, but the mystic arts were also growing, becoming more sophisticated, more dangerous. People like Alicia felt that they were still treated as second-class citizens among the magical nobles. She still considered it as luck, considering she was a baron's daughter. It would be a different story if she came from the common people or even paupers.
The next prophecy was enough to make the girl indignant. The power of the Eternal Empire would bring humans a thousand years of peace? Alicia immediately closed her book. This book was a joke. This was just fictional utopian writing that was not even better than the epics she brought to kindergarten. Eternal Roma was the sole reason this world was considered to be close to the crack of doom. Intervening in other countries' affairs for the sake of exploiting their resources, then pretending to be a mediator between governments, to trigger another war. Its monopoly policy of buying and selling the Arcane might exacerbate everything. If only the Eternal Empire could vanish, world peace might be at hand!
Annoyed, she threw the book, and it fell not far from her feet. She stretched and lay down on the soft sofa. She should not have listened to the Grand Magus' instructions. He surely just wanted to make sure the girl was busy during the trip, considering that the trip took more than one day.
What are you doing, Alicia? Take it and finish your reading! Orb spoke to her.
Alicia replied, "Really, Orb? This book doesnae say anything about my destiny."
You haven't read the whole thing! Do you already know what you're looking for in Vanir? answered Orb.
Orb had a point. Once Alicia was already in the capital Vanaheim, she should at least know the outer contents of the prophecy before she could search the tree of knowledge for details. Not knowing what she was looking for meant no details would be given to her.
Alicia groaned in frustration. "Alright, alright! Only because you asked, Orb."
She took back the book. This scripture was actually not thick like any common ancient scripture. When Alicia flipped to the next page, she was already at the last section.
Read it to me, Alicia, Orb requested.
"Aye, ye spoilt baw."
I like it when you read aloud.
"Quiet."
The last chapter she was about to read was called "The End of the World." What a jaw-dropping title. The lass hoped her nape hair would shudder when she read the title.
So she began to read its contents:
"'This is mine last prediction. I say this before I die. All this time I sensed that I am being mocked by the stars. They didst not move, they canst not bend, so they frame me as material for the ridicule of the universe, a comedic relief. I canst not see the stars from an ordinary perspective like the other prophets. I am exceptional. The stars sent me messages in an unusual way so far, because they didst not crave the darkness of the endless tarpaulin behind them to see. Nay, the darkness canst not wot before the time. The stars told this to me; the end is nigh. The realm hath fallen depraved. The Overseers of the Universe canst not remain silent anymore. The earth shall receive its judgment five periods after the release of this book. Wherein that day comes, the Six Children are presented to the Overseers of the Universe as earth's witnesses. The Six Children shall become the owner of the strongest power in the realm of thaumaturgy at their time. Their ability is beyond the reason of all mages, and how they use it shall determine the fate of the earth.
I know not what, whom, or of what quantity the Oversees of the Universal are. The star expanses rushed before their constellations switched again. I know not all that because the only cosmic creatures that I know exist are stars. I do not put mine faith in what they considered darkness, the Primordial Opposition. I do not find the almighty, the Silent Divine. 'Tis impossible for a divine to be silent. It whispers something and if thou hark it, it is not the silent one. And the ones whispering things into mine ear are the stars. Mine faith is in the stars.
Yet the stars say to me whom the six representatives of this earth are. The six symbolises the essence of the universe which creates life and perpetual wink'.”
A glimmer of light appeared in Alicia's mind. "Is this the intended contents of the prophecy? Wouldn't it be better if the Grand Magus just told me directly, or at least told me where the part of the prophecy was for me?" she muttered.
He just wants to keep you busy throughout the day. You're a bookworm. Rummaging through books is your fondness. If you had known this from the start, what would you have been doing all day on the train? Interfering other wizards? Orb's response to the girl.
Alicia replied to Orb, "I don't know, maybe? The magic lady named Odelie wanted to play around with me, even though she made me…." Her body heated up a bit as her imagination started to run wild. "… I do not know what to say."
Just read on, Alicia.
"Ah, Orb!"
Alicia continued her reading,
"'Stars quoth that a child shall become a stream of magic that is silent in a thousand languages. A child’s mouth is covered with winter mist. Winterlips, they shall name the child. The child shall silently pass thou with a cold feeling because thou are not the child’s current. The child is aye loved by many people yet the child never cares about thou. Anon, the flowing water shall no longer course its container. It shall create its own vessel and the shell of its vessel is hard.
Yet before it creates its own container, it might not but be found. It might not but be limited. Water aye follows the flow, so if going astray is the path, then that's where it shall flow. It shall not flow itself to quench the thirst of the living, yet to carry aroint the blood of the dead. Its shell shall be as hard as stone and the color of perpetual wink red. It shall become poison.
The water might not but be carried to the void, where it canst not form, then it shall adapt. Hence, it shall form its own container. It shall become merely round. Its shell is hard not because 'tis impenetrable, yet because it lets others in and 'tis shape remains alike. A child shall be clean and pure. A child shall refresh souls and drown out evil.'"
A symbol in the form of rounded water droplets appeared on the paper right after the last text was written. The girl didn't understand what the symbol meant. Maybe it was just a decoration? To give an aesthetic impression to a gloomy book? Alicia did not know or cared at that time. She kept on reading.
"'Stars quoth that another child was a pile of earth on which a beast's feet rested. The child was stubborn. Should the child had a mouth the child would fleer for learning from the beast every day. Should the child had eyes, the child would look at giant claws that stomped on the child with disgust. Do not compete the child with that beast because they are just as hard, both shall break. Solid foundations when they hit other solid foundations, both of 'em shall collapse. Shattered to pieces with all the memories of those whom stepped on it, because they fell and died too.
The earth and the beast might not but be at peace. The earth might not but grant a foothold to the beast, and beast hast to plow the earth to compose it loose. Let the earth break. It be broken, yet it will be merely broken. Let it crack an inch or twain, yet the bottom might not but be firm because it is the hope of those whom do not fly. If the beast and the earth get together, then the land shall be fertile and pure. The land shall become firmer and more fruitful, and the beast shall be able to eat it. The two shall become one reliable cohesion'!”
Another picture! This time was the symbol of an earth lump with a huge fanged face and bulging eyes. This symbol could catch Alicia's attention for a while, unlike the water symbol just now. Still, she knew nothing about the symbol's meaning and turned to the prophecy of the third child. []
