Chapter Text
Esteban had no idea where they were going - Chatana and Ash had taken the lead in their little cohort and were leading them up into the mountains to some sort of cave system that had some sort of magic tools that could have aided them.
“And why didn’t we come here sooner?” Esteban asked. “Additionally, must we hike? I can just teleport there.”
“But do you know where we’re teleporting?” Chatana asked over her shoulder.
“No, because you two are being vague about it,” he snipped. Ash scoffed.
“Stop complaining, we’re almost there,” she snapped. Esteban rolled his eyes.
“Can you at least give me a solid explanation about this place? I’m just as much of a partner in this as you two are,” he huffed. The two ignored him until they reached the mouth of the oh-so-important cave. It looked nondescript and unimportant. “Oh, wow. A cave. How helpful.”
“Mios dios, do you ever shut-” Ash turned to snap at him, but was stilled by Chatana’s hand.
“Calm down, Ash,” Pili said. Ash shrugged the hand away with a scowl.
“This cave contains two oracles,” Chatana began to explain. “One sees the past, the other the future. A malvago made this place a century and a half ago for them, and sorcerers and sorceresses alike have been coming here since. They will tell us how to get the scepter of light, among other things, and defeat Avalor once and for all!”
“And why just come here now? It sounds like it certainly could have been helpful before,” Esteban replied.
“Because it’s costly. The oracles aren’t cheap, and now we have more of the means to actually pay them since all other routes are gone,” Ash continued. “Now let’s go. The sooner we know the price, the sooner we can pay it.”
The two sorceresses entered the cave, but Esteban lingered behind. The idea of hurting his home and family sat in his stomach like a ball of lead, but for the sake of everything he was trying to weave together, he ignored it, straightened his shoulders, and marched forward. The cave was dark and dim, their footsteps echoing around them. For a few moments, the group could barely see in front of them until the cave suddenly opened up into a brightly lit atrium. The stone glimmered blue in the light from the ceiling of the cave - a large crystal descended from the ceiling, providing bright light. There was a platform with three small steps leading up to it. It was a grand space, certainly suitable for these supposed oracles. Esteban tried not to look around in awe.
“Well, where are they?” Pili asked, peering up at the platform from Chatana’s shoulders. She shrugged.
“They’re nearby,” the sorceress replied. She stepped closer to the platform. “Oracles! We come seeking your visions!”
There was the sound of rattling metal and footsteps from the back of the platform. Esteban noticed the small entrance at the side of it, obscured by shadow. Out from it came something that surprised him more than anything he had seen in the past two months. Two children walked forward from the entrance, hand in hand. One was at least twelve with shaggy brown hair cut short, and she had a dour and tired look on her face. The other couldn’t have been older than eight with wild black hair and wide brown eyes. Their clothing was old and slightly ragged, and neither had shoes, save for dark silver chains around their ankles. The chains were etched with glowing purple symbols.
“They’re children,” Esteban murmured and looked at the others to see if they were having the same reaction to the sight. Ash and Chatana’s faces hadn’t changed - it was as if someone had told them the sky was blue. The eldest one spoke first.
“What do you want?” her voice was cold and so very tired. Chatana smiled kindly and stepped closer. “Not another step closer!”
“There are booby traps,” the younger one said, softly. “Tormenta set them up so no one could take us.”
“Ah, I see…,” Chatana replied, scanning the ground. “Tormenta was paranoid, even with mystic chains.”
The children winced at the name. The eldest spoke again. “I repeat, what do you want?”
“We want information, why else would we be here?” Ash replied, impatiently. Chatana glared at her before turning back towards the children.
“We are here for information,” Chatana continued. “We would like to know how to take the Scepter of Light from Princess Elena, and the location of other powerful Maruvian items lost to time.”
The eldest blinked once, then twice, and looked at the younger, who repeated the motion.
“Alright,” the eldest said. “But you’re asking for plenty, so we need plenty in return.”
“Name the price and we’ll pay it,” Ash said. The girls looked at each other again.
“We need four things in payment,” the eldest began. “Starlight in a jar.”
“Thread that that’s only been spun and used once,” the younger added. “A mouse that doesn’t eat-”
“And a shawl made from many colors,” the eldest one finished. “No magic can be used.”
“Starlight, thread, a mouse and shawl?” Ash questioned. “What kind of-”
“If you don’t like it, don’t pay it,” the eldest shrugged. “Deal?”
“Not until you-” Ash began, but Chatana stopped her, pulling her aside to discuss things in hushed whispers that left Esteban out. Esteban looked up at the two children who stared back at them and then at the floor. Parts of the floor stood out to him, as well as a few tripwires that just barely caught the light. Booby traps? More like absolute child’s play to him. Esteban danced over the floor, elegantly avoiding each trap until he was up at the platform. Both children looked at him in shock.
The youngest one broke out of her daze and grinned widely. “Wow! How did you do that?”
“That was pretty neat,” the eldest said. “Pointless, but neat.”
“I’ve had practice,” he replied, kneeling down on the steps so he stood eye to eye with them. He could finally see up close how tired and ragged the two were. “The payments you want are riddles, correct?”
“Maybe,” the eldest shrugged. “We get bored.”
“Understandable,” Esteban replied, sitting down. “Let me guess…fireflies for the first one? And the mouse is a toy.”
“Aw, you solved it too fast!” the youngest replied. “Now we’ll actually have to tell them.”
“No we won’t,” the eldest replied. She blinked once, twice. “He’s not going to tell them anything, are you?”
Esteban shook his head no. He saw no reason to help them now after leaving him out of the loop. The girl started to grin, and some of the exhaustion fell away from her face. Before he could say another word, Chatana and Ash’s huddle broke up.
“We accept your terms, Oracles,” Chatana announced. “We will return with these items.”
“If you can get them,” the eldest replied. There was a hidden mirth in her voice.
“We will! Come on, Esteban,” Ash ordered. “We have a payment to collect.”
Esteban danced over the traps again, ending with a grand flourish that made the youngest cheer. The eldest only stared at him with a far off glance, and blinked once, and then twice as she watched them leave, her mind far away in the future.