Chapter 3 Part 24

"The task is done and the victors are assembled. Behold." The oracle's booming voice echoed throughout the halls once more as the dim light in the room slowly intensified. The ever-present Maidens of the Evening and Morning bowed low to a shadow that was forming in the dim light. The light continued to brighten and the shadow began to take on a shape of monstrous dimensions. The observers soon began to appreciate the enormity of the cavern in which they stood.

Before them, easily a thousand feet long, lay a beast whose presence sent all of them to their knees in awe. It was covered in scales of black and white creating a gray overall cover.

A head the size of a cottage was attached to a long snake-like neck. Slowly, it lowered to their level and came to rest on a mountain of gems and gold coins. The vertical slitted eyes focused on them and a cavernous mouth grinned with teeth the size of small trees. The creature possessed front and hind legs, which rippled with muscles and ended with talons capable of ripping solid stone to shreds effortlessly. A long tail twitched back and forth and a pair of wings were folded across the creature's back. Some of the visitors had seen and even on occasion fought dragons before, but this was unlike anything they had ever dreamed.

"I am the Oracle of the Twilight Dragon,” a voice revertebrated off the trembling walls. “Ask of me thy question."

It was Marlena who first recovered her wits. "We seek the Well of Time. Can you tell us where it is?"

The dragon closed its eyes for a moment then spoke. "Hear ye, the answer ye seek. That which thou seekest can be found at the center of the Isle of Time. A door lies in the highlands that gaze out over the Place of Eternal Death. But know this, thou hast traveled from afar and thy time in this place grows short. Already one hath been lost and another will be lost unless thou makest great haste. A third will be lost to thee amidst treachery before thy task is done and wilt not return with thee. Three more of thy remaining number will not see thy homeworld again."

The dragon opened its eyes again. "I can see no more," it said, "I hope you got your answer."

"I think we got more than we wanted," Keeneye remarked.

The dragon laughed. "That is the way it is with oracles," it said. "An answer and some confusion. But remember, even though everything I said was true, it is almost always vague enough to fool you into a false assumption."

"I don't believe you would be interested in clarifying any of what you said, would you?" Norwind asked with a sarcastic chuckle.

"I have no idea what I did say," the dragon replied. "Being the Oracle is actually being the host of an alter ego with limited omniscience. When the Oracle assumes control of my body I am displaced. So I really do not know what the Oracle thinks or says. So you see, I won't clarify it because I can't," The dragon paused. "But," it said grinning and showing brilliant tree-sized teeth, "if I could, wouldn't that spoil the fun?"

Ultrecht was about to speak when suddenly he was standing outside the entrance of the dragon's lair. The sun was up and the chill in the air was bitter. There was the smell of meat being cooked on the wind.