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“It's a risk that we'll have to take,” you decide, “If there are any dire warnings hidden away in that archive of yours, I'd rather know about them sooner rather than later. Let me know what you can find out, but be careful.”
“And don't go looking for any prophecies about me,” Ariel adds, “I'm too boring to be the subject of any prophecies, you'd just be wasting your time.”
“I'll keep that in mind,” Elle replies, taking out her notepad, “Anything else? Shall I write a shopping list?”
“Yes, actually, if you could find some buried treasure too then that would be great,” you remark, rolling your eyes, “The family coffers could certainly use the boost.”
“Noted,” the oracle mutters to herself, making a small note in her book.
-
The Choir is a strange structure, a tall tower that almost seems to spiral up into the sky. It looks older than the rest of the buildings nestled in around it, the white stone stubbornly resistant to the factory smog that clings to everything else in the capital. Elle stares up at it for a long time before shrugging. “Well, I'd better get started,” she announces, “You're looking for the cathedral district. I'm sure you can find it easily enough, just look for the-”
“The cathedral?” you finish for her, “I think we've got it.”
“Just checking,” Elle says with an embarrassed smile. With that, and before she can lose her nerve, she turns and strolls over towards the tower. You watch her leave for a moment more before going your own way. The cathedral district isn't hard to find, especially since the cathedral itself rises high over the surrounding buildings and stabs at the sky. Getting there is another matter, though, with a dense maze of narrow streets to navigate.
“I hope she doesn't find my secret prophecy,” Ariel muses aloud as you walk, “You know, the one that reveals that I'm a secret princess.”
“Damn,” you reply in a tone of mock exasperation, “You too?”
“It's surprisingly common,” the pale girl jokes, “But seriously. Can you imagine, a great tower filled with all kinds of dirty secrets?”
“I try not to imagine it.”
-
You feel vaguely awkward as you enter the grand cathedral. This is the first time that you've come here, and that's only because you need something from them. Adopting what you hope is a suitably pious expression, you stride towards the main altars and pause. Maybe it's just the vast monolith towering over you, but you feel a sudden sense of foreboding.
“Good day,” a voice calls out softly, jolting you from your thoughts, “Are you... looking for someone?”
You turn to see another young man, a man who could have stepped out of your own family tree. His skin and eyes are both pale, while his silver hair is pulled neatly back in a ponytail. He wears black, save for the great white cloak fastened around his shoulders, and carries a long sword at his hip with a comfortable ease.
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