PART FOUR: THE ANCIENT POWER
Oracle Tabitha Tanner took the podium while flanked by her Protector Dolphus and his pack members. Before addressing the small crowd of terrified onlookers who had rushed towards the House of Damnation to bear witness to the rise of a new dark Oracle, she turned back to observe them and smiled boldly feeling safe and secure. All members of the pack were sworn to allegiance to her cause. They would gladly die for her.
Most of the gathered crowds were brave journalists who risked their lives to get their story. News drones buzzed above and ahead of them at a considerably safe distance to get a close-up of the Dark Oracle.
The whole world was watching and terrified; Tabitha thought it was good for them to be scared- she was justice and would ensure the false goddess of enlightenment would no longer root herself in her Timeline.
“Peoples of the Magical Realm, I am your new Oracle, Tabitha. I shall rule you all justly so fear not, ye righteous folk. Those that profess the religion of the false goddess of enlightenment, however, be warned. I shall show no mercy to those who do not renounce worship of the false goddess. That is all,” she assertively stated before retreating from the crowds.
All over television, her speech was repeatedly aired and analyzed. The Magical Realm’s fear was certainly warranted as history had shown that the Dark Oracles that had ruled the world before Tabitha had been ruthless in pursuit of their ambitions. The sheer amount of power possessed by a single Oracle was staggering and a cause of alarm for anyone who the respective Oracle deemed a threat.
Tabitha used her clairvoyance to monitor several interest groups particularly the Protectors’ Agency. The Agency was in a blind panic- they clearly had not anticipated the rise of a new Oracle since Oracle Emica’s debut.
The Protectors’ Agency had been more than happy to pledge allegiance to Emica’s cause because she was a Light Oracle, however, they had no intention of pledging their allegiance to a Dark Oracle. The Agency, however, acknowledged that if Tabitha truly willed it, the Protectors’ Agency would have no choice but to bid to her commands.
“Emica, Emica, Emica…” Tabitha moaned in frustration breaking the silence in the room.
Dolphus immediately got into defense mode and his pack followed suit. “Is she here to challenge us?”
“Oh no, darling, she isn’t… Or not yet, really… It’s just these silly Protectors can’t seem to think of anything else. They are frantically seeking her out, like terrified little children. They are scared because of my power- because they know that I can easily control them like the pawns they are,”
“They seek Emica’s help in preventing me from using the Ancient power I possess to control Protectors even against their will,” Tabitha informed Dolphus.
“Is it possible for Emica to prevent it? Isn’t she the Oracle of another timeline? Can she truly command this power that truly belongs to you? “
“I suppose she could find the means to do so if she so wills it. After all, Emica has a connection to this timeline. The Magical Gong itself acknowledged it. If she claims the Ancient Power first, then definitely, she could prevent my claim of it,”
“Then let’s claim it first! Let us claim it before Emica does,”
“There is no need for me to claim it. I do not need the Protectors to bend to my will. What I need is their assurance that they shall not interfere with my work,”
“And how do you ensure that without claiming the Ancient Power to put an end of their resistance before it begins?”
“I make a deal with them- I do not interfere with their Agents or the Agency as a whole in any way and they stay out of my way,”
“I don’t think they will honor your request at all. I think we should claim the Ancient power and compel them to bend to your will,”
“That will play right into their way of thinking of what a Dark Oracle is. I did not choose this path simply because I wanted to be evil nor were my aspirations the typical conquer-the-world type stuff they’d expect from a villain. No, my mission is clear- I am here to destroy every trace of the false goddess from this timeline. I shall do whatever it takes to expel it from this world.”
“Beyond that, I am who I have always been- a Denary- born and raised witch who is as pissed as everyone else at how run down it has become. The Protectors’ Agency is not the enemy here. The false goddess is my main target and the biggest threat to justice for all. I shall eradicate it and restore balance to this Timeline,”
Dolphus dropped down on his knees and begged for her forgiveness. “I am a small-minded fool for thinking so myopically. I did not understand the full scope of your mission nor its nobility- you have sacrificed your own soul for the good of the world and for all the hatred and fear you shall amass from the people, you are true to yourself and not at all the wicked creature I once thought you were,”
“Dolphus, my love, I hold nothing against you. You are what you have always been- my Protector. You seek the path that would endanger my life the least. It would have been easier for me to force my will upon the Protectors but I’d rather not do so. I am a Dark Oracle but I am unlike any other Dark Oracle that has existed before me. The world shall soon bear witness to this fact on their own,”
Tabitha then paused and smirked before pronouncing, “Ah, it appears the Chief Protector has saved me a trip. She is here to see me,”
Dolphus got up immediately and braced himself for a fight. His pack followed suit.
“They’ll be no need to fight today if things go well,”
“If things go awry, my pack and I shall be ready to fight,” he reassured her.
Tabitha smiled and nodded. She walked towards the gate to the House of Damnation with the pack flanking her protectively. The Chief Protector, Juanita Chavez bravely stood her ground in the face of the Dark Oracle. Tabitha opened the gates and stood outside with her Protector and his pack still flanking her protectively.
“Protector Chavez, you are a very brave woman. Though you’ve come to me armed to the teeth and have a tactical team on standby in case things go south, inwardly, you acknowledge that you wouldn’t stand a chance against me. And yet, here you stand, boldly facing me,” Tabitha stated tilting her head to the right in a menacing manner.
Protector Chavez gulped and took several deep breaths before stating,”My lady, forgive the long delay… It came as an absolute shock that you’d come to power at this time. I shall not take up much of your time, I just wished to make a proposal of you, if I may,” Juanita stated bowing respectfully and avoiding direct eye contact with Tabitha.
Tabitha smirked as she appraised the document the Chief Protector had brought with her using clairvoyance. “Your proposal is acceptable, Protector Chavez. You may proceed in handing in the Magical Contract you had prepared,”
“My lady?”
“Your proposal suits me just fine. I did not intend on using the Ancient Power to force my will upon you or any other Protector anyway. I only wish to carry out my mission without your interference as your Magical Contract stipulates,”
“I… I thank you, my lady, for your consideration,”
The C.P immediately called for the Magical Contract to be brought forth and Tabitha held onto the document, consulted her gift of clairvoyance to predict the possible outcomes of appending her signature upon it once more.
Satisfied with the possibilities, she signed the contract and the C.P did as well. They then both drew blood using sterile magical daggers for that purpose and upon dropping their blood onto the document, they sealed it using one of the strongest magic known to man, blood magic.
“I trust that you are satisfied with the Contract, Protector Chavez?”
“I am indebted to you, my lady. Thank you,” she said with a respectful bow.
Before Protector Chavez knew it, the Oracle had pushed her with enough force to cause her to fall to the ground. A few seconds later, Dolphus caught a poisoned arrow meant to kill the C.P. with his hands and dissolved it in the palms of his hands. The pack immediately sought the deadly Archer while the C.P. gathered up her thoughts.
Protector Chavez acknowledged that the arrow was definitely meant to kill her and yet the Dark Oracle had not only predicted it but had also saved the C.P’s life without a second thought. Protector Chavez wondered why the Dark Oracle had saved her life and observed her with awe.
TO BE CONTINUED…
The Tale of Tabitha Tanner shall continue. Haven’t met the Magical Realm’s latest fiend? Worry not. Links to the previous parts are listed below;
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