CHAPTER 1046: THE ORACLE

The closer they flew, the denser the swarms of wings became.

The canyon’s air grew crowded. The three Dragonborns can feel currents of wind getting denser caused by dozens of patrols sweeping the skies.

Two warriors broke from the pattern and cut across their path with spears angled forward.

Their feathers bristled and their screeches echoed sharply as they held position in front of the flock.

"State your purpose! Outsiders do not enter the sacred aerie without sanction!" one of them barked, his eyes narrowing at Krono, Aesa, and Eccar.

Before the Dragonborn could answer, the leader of their escort flapped forward. His feathers flaring with authority.

"Stand aside! These three are to be brought to the oracle immediately. If we delay this you risk dishonoring my command!" the leader said with a firm voice. But it was because he was worried that Krono would create a bigger danger for them and their home.

The two guards shifted uneasily. Their talons scraped against the air as their wings trembled.

Their eyes flicked between the three imposing creatures with wings in various colors and the leader of the flock who were of course, have high reputation in this kingdom.

If he was speaking in this urgency that means this matter was actually important.

Suspicion glimmered in their gaze for a second but when they saw the burning sharpness in their leader’s eyes which felt like the mix of pride, shame, and desperate urgency, they finally faltered.

After a tense silence, both dipped their wings and slowly backed away, lowering their weapons with clear reluctance.

"Very well... but the oracle will decide their fate." one of them spoke with sharp eyes looking at the three outsiders.

The leader wasted no breath in response, only a sharp beat of his wings as he surged forward, signaling his warriors and the three Dragonborns to continue.

They pushed deeper into the kingdom, gliding over spires of stone and roosting ledges.

The sound of feathers rustling spread through the air around them. Arakocra of all sizes paused in their work, talons gripping ledges as their heads tilted upward.

A lot of sharp eyes tracked the three Dragonborn which were alien presences in their sky with wings gleaming with colors instead of feathers.

Whispers carried in shrill tones, some filled with anxiety, others with clear hostility.

Young fledglings tucked themselves deeper into the safety of their nests, while armored sentries bristled but did not interfere, unwilling to challenge the leader’s command.

Eccar’s crooked grin didn’t waver, though his eyes scanned the flocks above.

"I feel like the whole damn kingdom’s staring at us," Eccar muttered.

"Just let them stare," Aesa muttered with a grimace, her voice cold. She didn’t like this attention.

Krono didn’t so much as glance at the gathering crowd. His golden eyes fixed straight ahead, locked on the towering structure near the heart of the canyon.

It stood apart from the rest. It was an immense pillar of stone carved with spirals of unknown runes. Its peak was crowned by an open dais.

Feathers, bones, and glimmering stones adorned its edges that were actually symbols of devotion layered by generations.

This was not just a roost. This was the sanctum of the oracle.

Their wings beat steady as they ascended toward the great dais.

The murmurs below swelled like a storm, until at last, silence spread again as every eye turned toward the sacred place where the oracle waited.

The three Dragonborn slowed their wingbeats as the towering dais loomed closer.

The leader of the flock descended first, his wings folding as he landed heavily upon the sacred stone. He ordered his warriors to stand back.

Krono, Aesa, and Eccar followed behind him. Their scaled wings drew sharp glares from every direction until their feet touched down against the carved surface of the oracle’s place.

Here, the atmosphere shifted. Guards stood in waiting. These guards were larger than the ones outside, their feathers darker, their talons were sharper, and their beaks gleaming as if honed for battle.

Their presence radiated importance as if showing that this was not an ordinary threshold.

One of them stepped forward, his eyes hard as obsidian.

"Commander Varresh... you’ve brought yourself into something dangerous. The oracle already knows about your coming and your guests," he said with a deep voice.

The leader—Varresh—stiffened, feathers bristling ever so slightly, though he did not give any answer.

He knew the truth in those words. If the oracle knew, then she was expecting these guests and already told the guards.

The guards needed no explanation from him anymore.

Their piercing gazes shifted toward the three Dragonborns. Their shoulders looked stiff. Their wings slightly also folded in a sharp angle and their weapons ready. But beneath the disciplined stances their unease also lingered.

Fear clung to them in small signs. They had heard what these three beings could do from the oracle.

After a silent exchange of glances, the guards stepped aside in unison, splitting their formation to open the path toward the chamber.

Krono took the first step forward. Aesa followed at his side, her aura sharp with restrained disdain for all the stares.

Eccar lingered a heartbeat longer, his eyes sliding across the imposing guards before he smirked faintly and strode after them.

Inside, the chamber unfolded in dim serenity.

The walls were etched with spiraling runes, feathers and crystal charms dangling from the ceiling.

At its heart, seated upon a curved stone throne, was the oracle.

She was unlike the others. Her form carried the soft and solemn grace of an owl given humanoid shape.

Her feathers were pale silver streaked with white. Her round golden eyes were luminous and unblinking.

Her figure was robed in flowing garments dyed in hues of blue and white, layered with delicate beads and charms that shimmered with Magic.

Her build was slender and feminine, but the stillness of her presence held a pressure that pressed into their chest.

Eccar’s brows lifted as he slowed down behind Krono and Aesa. His smirk falters into something closer to fascination.

His eyes lingered a second too long on the oracle’s strange beauty.

"Erend needs to see them. He must be surprised to see these creatures. " Eccar thought.

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